State Magazine, July/August 2007

MOTHEREARTH

MAGAZINE

U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7

Crate IdeasAmerican ingenuity helps Swazi schoolchildren.

Foreign Affairs DayFrontline diplomats confront a changing world.

Security FirstDiplomatic Security team supports TransformationalDemocracy in Liberia.

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ON THE COVERMother Earth and the world environment,as seen by 15-year-old Mariya Nikolova ofKazanlak, Bulgaria, one of three winnersin the Department’s 2007 internationalEarth Day art contest.

STATE MAGAZINE + JULY/AUGUST 2007 + NUMBER 514

CONTENTS

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STATE MAGAZINE + JULY/AUGUST 2007 + NUMBER 514

12 Earth Day ArtistsThree Earth Day artists have transformationalexperience.

22 A Worthwhile WeekendIT specialist applies skills to hostagevideotape.

24 Peace Through MusicHybrid band bridges musical traditions.

26 Saving LivesEmbassy security team responds quickly toIraq bombing.

40 Science & Technology AbroadJefferson Fellow promotes S&T exchangeswith Africa.

46 Operation WarfighterDepartment helps wounded service membersduring recovery.

48 ‘Gold Standard’OMB calls Department’s data-sharing systemthe best.

50 Training ‘Ops’Operations Center takes on added role.

COLUMNS2 FROM THE UNDER SECRETARY

3 READERS’ FEEDBACK

4 FROM THE DG

5 IN THE NEWS

52 MEDICAL REPORT

54 APPOINTMENTS

55 RETIREMENTS

56 EDUCATION & TRAINING

57 OBITUARIES

60 THE LAST WORD

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POST OF THE MONTH:

KigaliModern Rwanda Reflects aCalm and Pleasant Beauty.

Secretary Rice has described Transforma-tional Diplomacy as “rooted in partnership.”The Secretary’s vision calls for us toinnovate and be creative as we expand theinfluence of diplomacy and the Department.Public-private partnership can be a powerfuland transformational tool that infuses theDepartment with new ideas, new best prac-tices and the results-based orientation of theprivate sector.

Diplomacy is at the center of our nation’sefforts to secure a peaceful and prosperousfuture for the United States and a robust,mutually beneficial engagement with theinternational community. Partnerships withthe private sector—including academicinstitutions, foundations, nongovernmentalorganizations and the business community—can amplify and reinforce our traditionaldiplomatic tools by drawing on the uniqueattributes of each sector.

Private Sector Partnership OfficeWhile partnerships are not new, actively

promoting them as a mainstream tool toaccomplish the Secretary’s strategic prioritiesis. In the summer of 2006, Secretary Riceestablished a task force to make recommen-dations aimed at expanding the Department’suse of public-private partnerships.

In addition to creating a Web site tobetter share information on State’s partner-ships and coalescing a group of stakeholdersfrom within the Department, the primaryrecommendation of the task force was tocreate a center of excellence to identify andimplement measures to promote partner-ship activity.

I am very pleased to announce that, as aresult, just such an office is being launchedin the Bureau of Resource Management.This new office will provide powerful toolsand information to Department personnelwho are actually our partnership practi-tioners and will be a focal point to sharesuccessful experiences, best practices andmodels and to advocate for the changesneeded to optimize this important activity.

As its first deliverable, the center hasbegun to assemble a database of existing

State partnerships. With more than 100partnerships captured, the databaseillustrates the wide array of partnerships inwhich the Department is already engaged.This is a first for the Department and will bea searchable Web site for all of us.

One example of a partnership is the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast CancerAwareness and Research, which is providingmedical expertise and support to reducebreast cancer incidence and increase earlydetection in the Middle East.

Another partnership, the OverseasSchools Advisory Council, is composed of25 representatives of American businessfirms, who provide advice on overseaseducational issues and conduct a program ofeducational assistance for these schools.

Private Sector PerspectiveThe center also supports the work of the

Transformational Diplomacy AdvisoryCommittee’s working group on privatesector partnerships. Committee membersinclude Maria Elena Lagomasino, CEO ofAsset Management Advisors, LLC; Governor

John Engler, president and CEO, NationalAssociation of Manufacturers; KennethDerr, retired chairman and CEO, ChevronCorporation; Yousif Ghafari, chairman ofGhafari Associates; and Harold “Terry”McGraw, chairman, president and CEO ofThe McGraw-Hill Companies. The workinggroup will make recommendations to Secre-tary Rice to build on partnership activityalready under way.

Undoubtedly, some change will beneeded, including building new competen-cies and expertise among both Foreign andCivil Service employees. It will also requirethat we rethink our assumptions about therole of government and adjust to thinking ofthe private sector as a strategic partner at alllevels of planning, operating, funding andgoverning.

Value of Public-Private Partnerships Well-conceived partnerships can realize

substantial cost savings, extend the reachand impact of our funding and allow allpartners to bring their strengths to the tableto work in concert across sector stovepipes.To be successful, partnerships must

• Advance the strategic objectives of boththe government and private partners.

• Require shared risk, investment andreward.

• Include interests that are as compellingto the private sector as policy andprogrammatic interests are to us.

• Leverage resources to jointly produceoutcomes with greater impact thancould be achieved individually.

Transformational Diplomacy is morethan a policy statement. It describes ourengagement around the world, in capitalcities and emerging centers of industry, andinfluences working with traditional partnersand new ones and through realcommunities and virtual ones. Public-private partnerships offer opportunities toleverage private sector ingenuity, efficiencies,information and resources to achievetogether what we could not do alone. ■

Advancing Our Mission ThroughPublic-Private Partnerships

UNDER SECRETARY HENRIETTA FORE

2 | S TAT E M A G A Z I N E | J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7

[email protected]

Phone(202) 663-1700

Fax(202) 663-1769

Mailing Address2401 E Street, NWHR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236Washington, DC 20522-0108

Letters should not exceed 250 words andshould include the writer’s name, addressand daytime phone number. All lettersbecome the property of State Magazine.Letters will be edited for length, accuracyand clarity. Only signed letters willbe considered.

LET US HEAR FROM YOU

Great PublicationsI have just enjoyed reading your article

(May issue) about the team that putstogether the Bureau of International Infor-mation Programs’ publications.

I commend these journals to everyone.The Outline Series is excellent. The postershows are attractive and useful in schools,at conferences and at our embassies inWellington and Apia and our Aucklandconsulate to inform audiences aboutdifferent issues.

So a big thank you from Down Under toGeorge Clack and his team.

Christine VivianPublic Affairs SectionU.S. Embassy, Wellington

Paul ClaussenJust a short note to express my apprecia-

tion for the fine obituary of Paul Claussen,which appeared in the June issue. I metPaul this past autumn, when we worked oncommemorating the bicentennial of U.S.-Russian relations.

During our short association I noticedmany of the fine attributes mentioned inthe obituary. Consequently, I wanted tothank the author for providing awonderful sketch of this superb historianand extraordinary person.

Bill JamesPublic Diplomacy Desk OfficerBelarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 | S TAT E M A G A Z I N E | 3

READERS’ FEEDBACK

I was particularly interested in the column on leadership by Under Secretary for ManagementHenrietta Fore in the May issue. As a university professor (now at the State Department as a FosterFellow) who teaches strategy, innovation and leadership to both undergraduate and MBA students,I was glad to see that the Department is following a similar path for developing leaders as the privatesector. Leadership is one of the main traits that industry is now looking for in new hires.

The 10 items discussed by Under Secretary Fore can be considered the “Ten Commandments” forgood leadership. I would like to add one more from former Secretary Colin Powell that could be consid-ered the golden rule for good leadership:

“Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not aboutstrategies. It is all about people—motivating people to get the job done. You have to be people-centered.”

Larry ChasteenManagement Professor/Foster FellowOffice of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism

Leadership Is About People

LET US HEAR FROM YOU

[email protected]

Phone(202) 663-1700

Fax(202) 663-1769

Mailing Address2401 E Street, NWHR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236Washington, DC 20522-0108

Letters should not exceed 250 words andshould include the writer’s name, addressand daytime phone number. All lettersbecome the property of State Magazine.Letters will be edited for length, accuracyand clarity. Only signed letters willbe considered.

After 26 challenging and exciting yearsin the Foreign Service and 35 total years offederal employment, I will be retiring fromthe Department. As I look back on my past14 months in HR, I’m pleased about whatwe have been able to accomplish together.

Our top priority has been to create aworkforce better able to carry outSecretary Rice’s vision of transformationaldiplomacy. We have moved positions toareas of growing regional or global impor-tance and have made some changes to theassignments process to ensure that we staffour most critical posts first with qualifiedpeople. We have also taken a careful look athow we might better attract and retain anoutstanding workforce as broadlyrepresentative of the American peopleas possible.

As a result of aggressive recruiting, theDepartment has significantly increased itsrank as an ideal employer amongundergraduate students. In May of thisyear, BusinessWeek reported that, for thesecond year in a row, undergraduates hadranked the Department as one of the topfive entry-level employers. In fact, ours wasthe highest ranking federal agency, listedright under Google, Disney and Apple.Also, in a survey of executive branchemployees at 30 large federal agencies, theDepartment placed first among women,third in its support for diversity and sixthoverall in the Best Places to Work in theFederal Government rankings this year.These are major accomplishments, and wewill continue on the path to making theDepartment an even better employer.

Despite these achievements, I’mconcerned about the increasing challengeswe face in light of the resource restraints

that hinder our ability to carry out robustdiplomatic work both at home and abroad.The essence of TransformationalDiplomacy will have to be enhancedoutreach to foreign audiences for them to

gain broader understanding not only ofour policies, but also of who we are as apeople. Well trained, knowledgeable gener-alists and specialists and, for that matter,everyone at a post will have to work harderand smarter in support of this effort. But itcannot be done effectively if we continueto be short-staffed and are unable toprovide the necessary opportunities fortraining, details and exchanges that willdevelop the next generation ofinteragency-savvy people capable ofmeeting the asymmetric challenges thatconfront our country.

On a personal note, I want to thankeveryone in the Department for the

support and assistance provided to me andthe personnel assigned to the HR Bureau.Many good ideas and suggestions havebeen sent to us via the DG Direct channel,and some have already been adopted andput into practice. As we continue tomodernize our procedures and worktoward new and better ways of providinggood customer service, we will always needand welcome good ideas on how to bettersupport our Foreign Service, Civil Serviceand Foreign Service National colleagues.

Finally, my wife Jo Ann joins me inexpressing our appreciation to every singlemember of the Department serving athome or abroad for their hard work,service and sacrifice. We all say thatwithout a moment’s hesitation to our menand women in uniform, as we should. Butthe same should also be said to thepersonnel of our State Department andthe other foreign affairs agencies who oftenserve far from home in unhealthy andunsafe environments, exposing themselvesto danger in high-threat posts, healthhazards, political and economic upheavals,in many instances with their loved ones(including partners) right there besidethem. Our Civil Service personnel whotoday are serving overseas in the hundredsmerit special thanks for taking onunexpected challenges in our most difficultposts and performing so superbly.Everyone in the Department has made animportant, valued contribution thatdeserves our highest praise and respect.

And if one day at your embassy youencounter a former DG in need ofassistance, please do your best to helphim stretch his retiree dollars as faras possible. ■

D.G. GEORGE STAPLES


Challenges and Accomplishments

“The essence of Transformational Diplomacy will haveto be enhanced outreach to foreign audiences.”

PLUS>>>

American Climbers Conquer World’s Tallest Building

money for charities. On May 5, a climb was held to raise

funds for Garden of Hope, an organizationthat helps disadvantaged girls and youngwomen who have been abused. A couple ofpersuasive fellows at AIT’s U.S. Commer-cial Service office talked a dozen or so oftheir colleagues into spending this partic-ular Saturday morning huffing and puffingin a windowless stairwell without airconditioning—for a good cause and forthe glory.

AIT Director Steve Young, anenthusiastic runner and veteran of aprevious charity climb of 101, led the AITteam. Others included one of the most

senior Locally Employed staff, Francis Li,an avid mountain climber, and JeanPierre-Louis from AIT’s Kaohsiung officein southern Taiwan, who traversed most ofthe island by train just to take part.

Jogging jauntily through the lobby tothe stairwell, the AIT team looked fit andconfident. Taking the stairs two at a time,the team attacked the first 10 floors. Butthen, the reality of the challenge slowlybegan to sink in. Every landing looked thesame as the one before, seen only throughsweat-blurred eyes. Yet the team struggledupward. Eventually every member crossedthe finish line with a smile.

A sweaty Director Young, whocompleted the climb in a mere 19 minutesand 35 seconds, was interviewed byTaiwan’s eight TV news networks on therooftop, while the rest of the team enjoyedthe view from the world’s tallest building.

Looming just a mile west of the Taipeioffice of the American Institute in Taiwanis Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building—for now. Completed in 2003, thisstatuesque structure is noted not only forits height, but also for its graceful design.With the soon-to-be-completed Tower ofDubai waiting to usurp the “world’s tallestbuilding” title, Taipei 101 is savoring itsmoment in the sun.

Besides shopping, restaurants and abun-dant office space, Taipei 101 features theworld’s longest stairwell, tailor-made forchallenge-seekers. A couple of times a year,organizations sponsor climbs to raise

SKY-HIGH STAIRS

HR Automates Paper-Based Personnel Processes +New Web Sites on U.S. Diplomacy Launched +Resource Center, Visa Services Return to Kabul +Managua Seeks Help on History Collage

The AIT climbers used the Starsand Stripes to accessorize.

NEWS

The Bureau of Human Resources isconstantly evaluating antiquated, paper-laden processes. Looking to makeimprovements through automation, HR isrolling out several initiatives that willsupport the employee performanceplanning, review and approval process;reengineer Foreign Service travel messages;and provide greater employee and managerself-service capabilities.

This fall, HR will pilot an electronicePerformance component of the GlobalEmployee Management System, which willallow employees and managers to completethe performance appraisal process online.

ePerformance enables managers to createand maintain performance documents,enter preliminary ratings and notes forplanning purposes, and perform adminis-

trative tasks such as review and approval.The employee will be able to review priorperformance documents and update andenter notes for planning purposes. Duringthe pilot period, employees and managerswill be given a choice of using theelectronic or paper process.

Employees and managers will havegreater self-service capabilities at theirdesktops through added functionalitywithin HR Online. Self-service functionswill allow employees to initiate datachanges in their personnel records.Managers will have a mechanism toapprove employee-initiated transactionsand initiate personnel actions.

HR is also reengineering the cable-basedForeign Service travel message process toautomatically process employee transfers

and assignments. The new TM-8 processautomatically transmits the date of arrivalat post and other assignment-related datafrom the Post Personnel System to GEMS.The new process will replace the manualcreation of the TM-8 cable and the SF-52/50 personnel action forms. It shouldeliminate duplicate data entry, reduceprocessing errors, integrate existing systemsand databases and speed up dataprocessing times.

HR/EX expected to release this long-awaited solution to a very labor-intensiveprocess by early summer and will automatethe remaining travel messages shortlythereafter.

HR is working closely with programoffices and labor unions to capture require-ments and receive feedback.

HR Automates Paper-Based Personnel Processes

The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training haslaunched two new Web sites on U.S. diplomacy.

First, ADST developed an instructional site on the history, prac-tices and traditions of U.S. diplomacy atwww.usdiplomacy.org. Designed to providebackground and context to those interested in foreignaffairs careers, it is also of interest to a wide range ofother audiences.

This project was undertaken with a grant from theUna Chapman Cox Foundation, and the site becameoperational in January. Although various sources inthe Department, including the Office of the Historian,were consulted to ensure accuracy, the site does notpurport to represent the views of the U.S. government.

The site starts with an overview of U.S. diplomatichistory and includes texts and video clips of notablessuch as Dean Acheson, Roz Ridgway, Terence Todmanand others. A list of useful Web sites on foreign affairs,including a link to careers.state.gov, is included.

Paul Blackburn, a former Senior Foreign Serviceofficer and specialist in public diplomacy, was engagedto produce the site. He was supported by ADST staffand successive teams of college interns.

Second, in February, ADST began placing the tran-scripts of its diplomatic oral history collection,“Frontline Diplomacy,” on the American Memory Website of the Library of Congress (www. loc.gov). Some1,300 transcripts are on the site, and more will beadded. The oral history interviews are collectedthrough a program that has been directed by former senior FSOCharles Stuart Kennedy since its inception in 1986.

Currently, ADST is conducting eyewitness interviews on theNorth-South Sudan peace process (in collaboration with the U.S.Institute of Peace) and “lessons learned” interviews for the M

family of bureaus on the mass departure of American citizens fromLebanon last summer.

ADST is an independent, nonprofit organization located on the

campus of the Foreign Service Institute. Since 1986, it has beencommitted to supporting training at FSI and advancing knowledgeof U.S. diplomacy. The latter effort includes publication of booksand mounting of exhibits. The association’s Web site iswww.adst.org.


ADST President Kenneth L. Brownreviews the usdiplomacy.org Web sitewith FSI Director Ruth Whiteside.

Association Launches Web Sites on U.S. Diplomacy

A question for Department employeeswho served in Nicaragua: Do you haveany old photographs, pictures, slides ormagazines from your tour in Nicaraguathat you would be willing to share?

After many years, the U.S. Embassy inManagua will move from its temporarybuildings into a new embassycompound and is putting together acollage to be displayed in the new officebuilding. This work of art is designed toproudly display the history of theembassy and the people who haveworked there.

On June 22, 1849, Ephraim George

Squier arrived as the first official U.S.representative in Nicaragua. Since then,many Foreign Service officers, specialistsand Locally Employed staff have madehistory in Managua.

The mission is looking for pictures ofpeople, buildings and events. Please sendscanned images to [email protected] descriptions of the scanned imageswould be greatly appreciated. Hardcopies can be sent to:

U.S. Embassy ManaguaAttn: Transition CoordinatorUnit 2702, Box 1APO, AA 34021

MANAGUA SEEKS HELP ON HISTORY COLLAGE

In a sign of gradual return tonormality, the U.S. Embassy in Kabulrecently experienced two historic events:

the opening of an American InformationResource Center and the commencementof limited visa services. Both services hadceased in 1979 following the murder ofthe U.S. ambassador in Kabul and subse-quent deterioration in diplomaticrelations between the United States andAfghanistan.

On April 5, U.S. Ambassador Ronald E.Neumann, along with Afghan Minister ofInformation and Culture Abdul KarimKhuram, inaugurated the AIRC. The newfacility is inside the recently renovatedembassy building, which Neumann’sfather, Ambassador Robert G. Neumann,dedicated in 1967. The center will serveAfghan audiences who want to gain abetter understanding of U.S. culture,

society and institutions. It offers books,research services, a video collection, satel-lite TV and high-speed Internet access.

“This InformationResource Center repre-sents one way oflooking beyond warand crisis,” AmbassadorNeumann said, “tofocus on the things thatbring people together—the exchange ofinformation, the chanceto talk about the issuesthat mean something toall of us.”

Just a few weekslater, the U.S. Embassyin Kabul’s Consularsection inaugurated thefirst stage in expandednonimmigrant visa

services, conducting the first NIVinterviews at post since 1979. The accom-plishment was the culmination of monthsof coordinated effort by the Consular,Regional Security, Management, Informa-tion Systems and Facilities Maintenanceoffices. Support from Washington wasalso essential.

Newly arrived Ambassador William B.Wood greeted a group of eight NIV appli-cants, all of them Paktika Provincegovernment or tribal representatives whoare participating in a special InternationalVisitor Program organized by theembassy’s Public Affairs section andProvincial Reconstruction Team Sharana’spolitical officer, Timm Timmons, andpolitical assistant Rashid Hassanpoor.

Resource Center, Visa Services Return to Kabul


MAGAZINE STAFF

Rob WileyEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ed WarnerWRITER/EDITOR

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Maurice S. ParkerEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Kelly Clements

Annette R. Cocchiaro

Margot A. Sullivan

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) ispublished monthly, except bimonthly inJuly and August, by the U.S. Departmentof State, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington,DC. Periodicals postage paid atWashington, D.C., and at additionalmailing locations.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Send changes of address to State Maga-zine, 2401 E Street, N.W., SA-1, RoomH-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. Youmay also e-mail address changes [email protected].

SUBSCRIPTIONS

State Magazine is available by subscriptionthrough the U.S. Government PrintingOffice by telephone at (202) 512-1800 oron the web at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

SUBMISSIONS

For details on submitting articles toState Magazine, request our guidelines,“Getting Your Story Told,” by e-mail [email protected]; downloadthem from our Web site at www.state.gov;or send your request in writing toState Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W.,HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236,Washington, DC 20522-0108.

The submission deadline for the Octoberissue is August 15. The deadline for theNovember issue is September 15.

A religious leader from Paktika, left, is interviewed byBashir Mamnoon, senior American Citizen Services assistant,and Jessica Simon, vice consul.


SPECIAL DAY BRINGS CHILDREN TO THE WORKPLACE BY ED WARNER

This year’s Take Your Child to Work Daywas unique for running concurrently withthe Department’s Earth Day activities. As aresult, some of the 625 or so children whocame to see their parents’ workplace onApril 26 also got a chance to see MickeyMouse, an Earth Day invitee who came to ageneral assembly session focusing on bothcelebrations.

Take Your Child to Work Day gave atten-dees a choice of activities, including

meeting the Department’s bomb-sniffingdogs, a Bureau of Diplomatic Security pres-entation that is traditionally among themost popular activities. The children,however, could only go to the dogs if theywere registered in advance via the Bureau ofHuman Resources’ online system, whichhelped ensure seating for the most popularevents. The list of events that filled earlyincluded the DS dogs, the outing to the Airand Space Museum hosted by the Bureau of

Oceans and Environmental and ScientificAffairs and the Tin Man RecyclingWorkshop, a new-for-2007 presentation bythe Bureau of Administration.

Penny McMurtry, the day’s coordinatorin HR, said the recycling workshop was justone of eight A Bureau presentations, arecord number for any bureau. The bureau’s“just phenomenal” involvement, she said,also included garnering plenty of rooms forthe day’s activities and hosting Jamestown

Child to Work

In an activity organized by theAndean Desk, Take Your Child toWork Day attendees learn fromJanine Keil, back center, how to usepopsicle sticks and yarn to makeojos de dios, a traditional craft soldin Andean markets.

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Journey, a presentation highlighting the colonialsettlement’s 400th birthday. McMurty, a special projectsofficer, said the Department’s Take Your Child to WorkDay is the largest held by any federal agency.

At the Bureau of Information Resource Management’spresentation on building Web sites, Web Developer LisaThomas said the children had such a wonderful timesome didn’t want to leave when it ended. One parentattendee, she added, wanted information about creating ahome page for his office.

The day was also celebrated at posts abroad. At the U.S.Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador, the eight attendeestoured the videoconferencing studio and had a videoconference with children in Washington and at the U.S.Embassy in Honduras. Eden Stern, daughter of CulturalAffairs Officer Marjorie Stern, said they “made newfriends that maybe sometime we could meet in person.” ■

The author is a writer/editor for State Magazine.


Above: Deputy Secretary JohnNegroponte swears in attendeesas Department employees for aday. Left: IRM Web Developer LisaThomas helps Take Your Child toWork Day attendees design Websites. Below: U.S. Ambassador toEl Salvador Charles L. Glazergreets his post’s Take Your Child toWork Day contingent in his office.

Editor’s Note: As part of State Magazine’s “Writer’s Block” presentation for Take Your Child to Work Day, we offered to print the best shortstories written by the participants to describe their parents’ jobs. Here are the (slightly) edited versions from five future writer-editors.

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theFuture

Meet

Dollar WatcherBy Ashley Uygur

Today, I am coming to the State Department for Bring YourChild to Work Day. Neither of my parents works for the StateDepartment, but I was able tocome with my aunt instead. Ihave been looking forward to thisexperience since late March, andI’m very excited about learningsomething new.

My aunt works for theOverseas Buildings Operations.This bureau is responsible forbuilding, renting or buying theembassies, consulates andhousing that State Departmentemployees use to do their jobs.Most of the embassies and consulates are built by constructioncontractors. These buildings must also be maintained, so OBOuses maintenance contractors, as well. My aunt’s job is to look atthese contracts to make sure that government money is beingspent wisely. She also looks at how different offices in OBO areworking to see if there may be a better way of doing things.

I read one issue of State Magazine, and it intrigued me a lot.Normally, I don’t read magazines or newspapers, but I reallyenjoyed the Department’s magazine. I am a person whose life isall about words. All I do is write. I’m planning on a professionin writing books and novels, but don’t be surprised if, in thefuture, there is an article in State Magazine by Ashley Uygur.

Ms. Uygur’s aunt, Zerrin Langer, works in OBO’s InternalReview/Operations Research office.

Flawless ReporterBy Maddy Warner

Ed Warner, my dad, works in the Office of Inspector General.I interviewed him to find out more about his office and hispersonal job. This office has an important job—it basically

inspects and searches parts of theState Department for flaws thatneed attention. Without thepeople doing this, Departmentmanagement and security couldoverlook problems that mightneed attention.

Since this job is all aboutgetting rid of flaws, the reportalso has to be flawless. That’swhen Warner does his job. He isan editor, meaning he corrects allthe mistakes in grammar, punc-

tuation and spelling. But editing is harder than it might seem.“I have to print the document out after editing it on the

computer,” he tells me, “and edit it again by hand, because it iseasier to notice details when the text isn’t confined in a tinycomputer screen.”

But that’s not all the determined Warner does. He writesadditional forms that show the actions that need to be takenand also teaches inspectors how to write these reports. Goodthing Ed Warner has lots of patience.

Sitting and EditingBy Jennifer Warner

Ed Warner may be known for bad jokes and dumb puns athome, but at work he has a way with words. My dad is one of thetechnical writer-editors for the Office of Inspector General. Hisjob is to edit the reports of inspection results that people write.

The reports that Dad edits areabout inspections of the embassiesand divisions of the State Depart-ment. These inspections arecomposed of two major things—management and security.Management mostly deals withfinancial and public diplomacyissues. Security is more about howthe people and information of thedivision are protected. When areport is written, my dad edits it,writes a summary, fills out any

needed forms and puts letters in for the people who should getthe report. He makes a sort of package.

But Dad does more than just sit around and edit papers allday. One cool thing he does at work is to teach a class every yearon writing reports like the ones he edits. He tells his studentswhat should be provided in a report and helps them get the hangof writing them. He also helps people who sometimes look forjust the right way to explain something, or make a statement. Hehelps them decide how to phrase things in their writing. One lastthing that he does at work is to act as an “air traffic controller”for all the reports he edits; he keeps track of where each report isand sends it to different people to read and sign.

Dad loves his job as editor because he enjoys editing, butmostly because of the people he works with. He is great friendswith his coworkers and enjoys working with them. Also, Dad saysthat his bosses are phenomenal. He describes his boss as honest,kind and totally empathetic, and describes her boss as funny,outgoing but not goofy, very down-to-earth. To me, being a tech-nical writer-editor for the State Department sounds great.

Maddy’s and Jennifer’s dad, Ed Warner, was on Take Your Child toWork Day a technical writer-editor for OIG. He recently joinedState Magazine as writer-editor.

e*Phone HomeBy Sheila Zhu

My mother works to support the ePhone Web siteand the help desk. She helps people log into theePhone when they can’t log in and the Web site failsto recognize the user. Most of the time, she works ontickets to help people solve problems. She also grantspeople access—administrative, executive, specialaccess—to personal records and information, etc.on ePhone.

She instructs people on proper log-in procedure,

and sometimes helps solve extra problems after usershave successfully logged onto the site.

She also does data analysis and fixes data mishaps.There are many people who work at the State Depart-ment, so mistakes on data records are notuncommon. She analyzes employee data. Would youwant my mother’s job? These are all the things shedoes during her work day. ■

Ms. Zhu’s mother, Xunli Zhu, works in the ApplicationsProgramming Division of Information ResourceManagement’s Systems and Integration Office.

Seething Diplomat SootherBy Charlotte Fennell

My father, Steve Fennell, has worked at the State Departmentfor a while now. He started out as a contractor, doingsomething. I’m not sure what it was that he actually did, butI’m sure it was very important to the welfare of the universe aswe know it. Eventually, he became a government employee.

He worked in the inbound section of the TransportationDepartment, helping to make sure that the belongings of thereturning U.S. diplomats got back to America like they weresupposed to. This job is a little more difficult than it sounds.Not only did he have to actually figure out WHY Timbuktu lostthe diplomat’s cargo, find out where it went, then send it to theright place; he also had to explain to said seething diplomatthat it wasn’t HIS fault that Timbuktu lost all their stuff, and ifthey want to yell at someone that they should get in touch withTimbuktu.

After he did that, I believe hedid the same thing, only fordiplomats in Europe.

Now my father works for theoutbound section of the Trans-portation Department as a“Traffic Management Specialist.”When I asked him what thatmeans, he said “Not much; itjust means I help our diplomatsget their belongings from theU.S. to their posts.” He makessure that diplomats going to a foreign country actually havetheir stuff when they get there. He makes the shipping arrange-ments and informs the diplomats of how much and what kindof stuff they can bring (No, sir, you may not make a shipmentof frozen dinners, there will be food there).

The diplomats are important, sure, but they wouldn’t bevery happy without their stuff. The reason that their stuff isthere and comes back to the states with them is my daddy andhis colleagues in the Transportation Department.

Ms. Fennell’s dad, Steven Fennell, is an EUR TransportationCounselor in the Transportation Operations division of theTransportation and Travel Management office.



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EARTH DAY ARTISTS HAVETRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCEBY RUSSELL N. NEWELL

Earth Day Artists


In April 2007, transformational

diplomacy took the form of three

young girls and their mothers,

who were overwhelmed by their

first journey to Washington, D.C.

Two of the families had never

been to the United States, and

none spoke or understood

much English.

Yet, for the next four days, they

would all participate in a public

diplomacy initiative that would

transform their lives and affect

and educate many more children

around the world.

The three girls—Mariya Nikolova fromKazanlak, Bulgaria; Soo-Yun Ga fromBundang, South Korea; and Anna Kutuzovafrom Polatsk, Belarus—had won the grandprize in an international Earth Day artcontest for children in the age groups10–11, 12–13 and 14–15.

The contest was conceived by Claudia A.McMurray, assistant secretary of state foroceans, environment and science, and spon-sored by the Department of State. Theoffices of the under secretaries for manage-ment, global affairs and public diplomacyand public affairs also helped run thecontest and host the awards ceremony.

The Environment’s ImportanceThe contest’s theme was “What is impor-

tant to you about the environment?” Itsgoal was to highlight U.S. leadership onenvironmental issues and inspire childrento help protect the world’s lands, water andwildlife. Thousands of children from 40countries participated.

Early on the morning of April 26, the

three tired, yet excited, grand-prize winnerswere driven to the Department, where theambassadors of the Republic of Korea andthe Republic of Belarus, the first secretaryfor political and cultural affairs from theRepublic of Bulgaria and families from eachnation’s embassy welcomed them.

The three girls mingled in theDepartment’s Exhibit Hall and posed forphotographs with dignitaries. Then theyentered the Dean Acheson Auditorium,where more than 500 children ofDepartment employees were participatingin Take Your Child to Work Day. There, theyreceived welcomes and congratulationsfrom two under secretaries, an assistantsecretary and the Department’s second-ranking official, Deputy Secretary JohnNegroponte.

“I want to congratulate all three of you,”Deputy Secretary Negroponte said, afterasking each girl to stand. “Your fine worksof art, as well as the thousands of otherworks submitted, show not onlytremendous artistic ability but also the

Receiving the applause of the Take Your Child to Work Day audience are, from left, Beth Stevens, Soo-yun Ga, Anna Kutuzova, Mickey Mouse andMariya Nikolova.

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Top: Soo-yun Ga’s winning entry, titled Abandoned Ship—Seoul.Above: Mariya Nikolova takes a break while touring the sites of

Washington, D.C. Right: Nikolova, Soo-yun Ga and AnnaKutuzova play a prank on the author while visiting Disney World.


importance of the Earth to so manychildren around the world.”

Beth Stevens, vice president of DisneyCorporation’s Animal Kingdom, also spoketo the children about conservation andintroduced a special guest. To the delight ofall, Mickey Mouse descended from the backof the auditorium and gave Soo-yun, Annaand Mariya gifts from Disney.

Off to Disney WorldStevens then announced that Disney was

flying the trio and their mothers to WaltDisney World in Orlando, Fla., for a three-night stay as VIP guests. They flew to

Florida that evening, and the next morningwere whisked to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.Disney then filmed the children on thepark’s Kilimanjaro Safari and a tour of thePangani Forest Exploration Trail, wherethey learned about wildlife and Disney’sconservation efforts.

The girls also got a behind-the-scenestour of Epcot Center’s The Living Seasexhibit, where they saw a rare baby seaturtle, manatees, dolphins and sharks, andlearned about Disney’s efforts to protect theoceans and their inhabitants.

Finally, the three winners learned a fewsimple ways to help the environment in

their hometowns by picking up trash inparks and along rivers, recycling, conservingenergy and spreading awareness of the needto protect endangered animals.

Each girl said the trip to Americachanged her life. The three girls and theirmothers also forged friendships with eachother. On the morning they said goodbye,the girls walked arm-in-arm a shortdistance away from their mothers and theDisney tour guides to have a privatemoment together. Though they did notspeak each other’s languages, they shared abond transcending language and culture.Since the trip, they have kept in touch andexchanged gifts.

Environmental AlliesPress coverage in Korea, Belarus and

Bulgaria on the contest and the winners’visit to the United States was overwhelm-ingly positive. The girls are now localcelebrities in their hometowns, where theyhave shared their positive impressions ofthe United States.

More than a thousand children partici-pated in the art contest, and most are likelyto keep thinking about the environment andsee the United States as working hard toprotect it. They may also become futureU. S. partners in this effort. ■

The author is a speechwriter in the Bureau ofOceans and International Environmental andScientific Affairs.

Anna Kutuzova’s winning entry,titled We Have But One Way.

“Everything that happened to me was

unbelievable, starting from the award cere-

mony in Washington to the visit in Disney

World. Every single minute of my stay in

the United States was unforgettable, and I

will remember this all my life.”

In October 2006, once-prosperous Côted’Ivoire was entering its fifth year as adivided nation. There were toxic wastedumps in its economy’s chief city, and secu-rity was perpetually uncertain. It did notseem like the right time or place for acultural envoy, much less an arts specialist.

And yet it was. The public affairs section of the U.S.

Embassy in Abidjan had determined that,while the quality of Ivorian artists’ workwas technically superb, the artists had diffi-culty selling their work. Since the nation’spolitical crisis began, the tourist market hadvanished. Selling art locally was largelyunsuccessful—Ivorian elites bought fromEuropean galleries. The artists neededaccess to a different, large, multiculturalmarket, meaning they needed training inmanagement and marketing to Americans.

Ed Johnetta Miller, an arts management

consultant, was ideally suited to address theIvorian artisans’ needs. Her work in Ghanagave her unique sensitivity to developing-world concerns, and her experience withvaried art forms ensured broadly relevantpresentations. Thanks to the Office ofCitizen Exchanges, Miller arrived in Abidjanin October 2006 to undertake a whirlwindprogram of marketing-related presentationsto Ivorian artists at three locations aroundthe county.

The program opened at the AmericanCorner in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire’spolitical capital, where Miller met excitedfaces—and a few surprises. Small businessowners from various trades attended, whichmeant Miller’s audience consisted ofweavers, sculptors, musicians, jewelers, hair-dressers—and even air conditionerrepairmen.

She was also greeted by an impromptu

but representative exhibit of theparticipants’ art at the American Corner.

Despite the political crisis, Côte d’Ivoire’screative community has continued toproduce sophisticated works of art, inspiredby centuries of custom as well as tourists’tastes. Besides traditional masks, Ivorianartists produce paintings, sculpture, leathergoods, pottery, ceramics, jewelry and more.Miller’s favorite pieces, though, were hand-woven pagnes—cotton or silk textilesdesigned as raiment for kings. The bestsurprise was her clear connection with theartists, despite the language barrier.

In each city she visited, the pacing andorder of Miller’s presentation varied, butthe messages never changed. She assuredthe artists that the quality of their work wasexcellent and suitable for the Americanmarket. At the same time, she offered prac-tical suggestions such as changing colors,

CULTURAL ENVOYAIDS IVORIAN ARTISTSBY LINDA McMULLENTo Market

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Ed Johnetta Miller, left, and LindaMcMullen stand among weavers fromTiébissou, a city near Yamoussoukro,where the workshop was held.

patterns and materials to improvemarketability. She also offered practicallessons in small business management,focusing on pricing, museum interactions,trade show involvement and humanresources. Her overall message remainedsimple: Join together because only a groupcan succeed.

The artists listened, especially in Bouaké.Côte d’Ivoire’s second-largest city becamethe capital of the New Forces-controlledNorth in 2002. Since then, the populationhas been somewhat isolated. After anexciting journey into Bouaké—preceded bytwo dozen Bangladeshi soldiers who werepart of a UN peacekeeping force andfollowed by anti-aircraft guns—Miller was

eager to hear of the artists’ experiences. Shethen integrated solutions for specific localchallenges, such as limited access to banksand post offices, into her presentation.

In Abidjan, the participants—fromgovernment officials to ordinary weavers—took her unifying message deeply to heart.On the last day of the program, they spenttheir lunch hour reflecting on how allparticipants from her program could unite.

Banding TogetherTheir efforts bore fruit. In December

2006, participants from each of the threecities’ programs launched the Federation ofArtists and Artisans of Côte d’Ivoire. At thegroup’s general assembly meeting at the

embassy, theartists ratifiedtheir statutes andelected a board.The group’s goalsare to promoteIvorian art,provide trainingfor Ivorian artistsand developcommercial andprofessional rela-tions with theUnited States.

The new artists’group has alreadymade significant

strides toward its goals. Beginning inOctober 2006, program participants went toneighboring villages and began trainingfellow artisans. They also established a Website that will provide a platform for sellingtheir wares. Their greatest success, though,was in promoting Ivorian art.

The new embassy in Abidjan has beenhosting artists’ expositions since December2005, doing so under the auspices of theAmbassador’s Art in the Atrium program.The artists’ federation participated in theArt in the Atrium program, which promotesIvorian art for the benefit of embassyemployees and contacts. The fledglingorganization also organized the fifth exhibitfor this program, with a Black HistoryMonth focus. It opened in February 2007,and its multiplicity of art forms has gener-ated intense interest—and sales. Toconclude the Month’s programs, the federa-tion’s musicians shared their uniquesounds, providing a seven-band concert.Each program received extensive presscoverage.

While the prospects of an artisticprogram in a country in crisis once lookedgloomy, the Office of Citizen Exchanges andMiller realized the difference such a visitcould make. The program has given Ivorianartists a brighter future. ■

The author is the cultural affairs officer at theU.S. Embassy in Abidjan.


Above: Miller discusses marketing with a workshop audience at the American Corner in Yamoussoukro. Below: UN peacekeeping troops escort Miller’svehicle on its way to an arts-marketing presentation.

Above: A volunteer at the hospital in Orlik helps paint one of its bright murals.Right: John Mark Pommersheim, former consul general at the U.S. Consulate

General in Vladivostok, takes a break during painting at a local hospital.


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Bringing the arts into hospitals is acreative opportunity to enhance health careand further international relations throughcelebrating a country’s own culture andusing the talents of its citizens.

A case in point was my experience inRussia as a Fulbright scholar at the EastSiberian Academy of Culture in Ulan Ude. Itaught courses on arts administration andworked with local leaders on culturaltourism, arts and economic development, aswell as the use of the arts in health care.

Like hospitals elsewhere, Russian hospi-tals face challenges such as staff burnout,more patients and not enough time to seethem, reductions in government support,spiraling costs, outdated facilities, safetyconcerns and limited medical resources. Inthe small towns, these challenges sometimesseem even greater.

Orlik is a tiny village in the SayneeMountains, about an eight-hour drive south

of Lake Baikal. The rural hospital thereserves a vast region with a small populationof 40,000. It provides a full range of healthservices from community clinics to acutecare, all without the benefit of runningwater. Nearly all patients and staff, even inthe depth of winter, use outhouses. Water isbrought in by truck from wells or the river.The interior walls are mostly in rough shapeand are painted an unrelenting white.

Beginning in the children’s clinic, withfull input from patients and staff, weselected a new color motif and designs formurals and decorative trim. Everyonepitched in to scrape, repair, design andpaint, including doctors, nurses,maintenance and administrative staff,patients, family members and communityvolunteers.

The result was a transformed space. Theentry and waiting area sported a sky mural,the cafeteria featured a mural and decorated

tables, and patient rooms displayed newwall colors and decorative trim. It was allsuch a hit that four months later the projectwas expanded to include the therapy clinicand polyclinic. Also, a monthly musicprogram for patients was launched.

National newspaper and televisioncoverage resulted in two children’s hospitalsin Ulan Ude, the capital of the Republic ofBuryatia, deciding to launch similar activi-ties. A wide array of partnerships wasestablished that included students, facultyand administrators from the Academy ofCulture; a history and natural historymuseum; the Buddhist University; twoafter-school arts programs for students; theministries of arts and health; and a commu-nity volunteer association.

Local people developed motifs, drawingon resources from the museums, andvolunteers from all the organizations didthe work. They transformed a hospitalsection for orphans, waiting areas, ahallway that linked major buildings,ceilings of intensive care units, cafeteriasand patient rooms. Their enthusiasm for

Arts in HospitalsFULBRIGHTER TAPS RUSSIA’S ARTISTIC SOULBY NAJ WIKOFF

Left: A hospital café gets a makeover,thanks to the volunteers. Bottom left: Afreshly painted mural gives the hospital inOrlik an outdoorsy look. Right: Patientsat a hospital in Vladivostok join in thepainting effort.


the work was infectious.More than 90 percent of the funds for

the materials was raised locally—this inone of the most hard-pressed regions inRussia. Many students in arts and artsadministration walked away with ideas fornew career opportunities, along with prac-tical experience in strategic planning, fundraising and negotiating.

As news of the successful communityremodeling projects spread, the FulbrightRussia Office and the U.S. Embassy receivedrequests for hands-on workshops in othercities and towns in Russia, includingKemerovo, Moscow and Vladivostok. Withthe help of a small grant from the embassy’sPublic Affairs section, I traveled to theseplaces and repeated the workshops. I hope

that as a result, the idea that communitymembers can have a positive impact ontheir own health care environment isgaining momentum across Russia.

Along the way, many Russians saw first-hand that by working together andexpending a bit of sweat equity, spacescould be radically enhanced through themining of their own artistic, cultural andhuman resources. They experienced whathappens in American communities whenpeople join together to address issues ofcommon concern.

Could these lessons be taken elsewhere?Absolutely. Every community has talentedpeople to draw on—people who haveconnections and are willing to take steps toaddress a need that touches people’s livesand their deepest sense of well-being. ■

The author, formerly a Fulbright seniorscholar in Russia, is now director of Healingand the Arts at the C. Everett Koop Instituteof the Dartmouth Medical School.

During my tour in Swaziland, myhusband Mwana Bermudes and I have beeninvolved in volunteer work with the under-privileged people of this country.

Swaziland has an official HIV/AIDSprevalence rate of 39.2 percent, reportedlyone of the highest in the world. Mostly as aresult of AIDS, the number of orphans inthis small country is expected to grow from70,000 to 120,000—an eighth of the popu-lation—by 2010.

With the financial and technical

assistance of several local, Canadian andAmerican friends, we have been able tocarry out several small projects with someof these orphans and women infected withor affected by the pandemic.

With help from Community LiaisonOfficer Lisa Mooneyham, we have visitedmore than 40 rural schools and hospitals,distributing clothing, books, schoolsupplies, blankets and toys. With financialcontributions from several friends, we areoffering computer training to young Swazi

women at a local firm to give them an extrasurvival skill.

In 2005, we received financial supportfrom the J. Kirby Simon Trust to upgradetwo classrooms at a rural school fororphans in the Ntondozi community. Withfurther financial assistance from local busi-nessmen, we built a kitchen and installed aclean water supply in the same school. Wealso installed a basic irrigation system forthe school’s vegetable garden. With Ambas-sador Lewis Lucke’s help, we secured a

AMERICAN INGENUITY HELPS SWAZI SCHOOLCHILDREN BY NELDA VILLINES

CRATE IDEAS

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The Ntondozi school for orphans is shownbefore the upgrade, below, and after.

regular supply of food for the school’skitchen through the World Food Program.

The Ntondozi schools and many othersthat are not financed by the government orinternational agencies lack basic furnitureand school supplies. We have witnessedchildren sitting on the floor while thevolunteer teacher presents her lessonsstanding up most of the day.

Commercial school furniture was tooexpensive for our modest budget, so Mwanahad the idea of using the wooden crates thatwere used to ship our personal belongingsto Swaziland.

He and our friend Bruce Jameson cameup with a simple but solid design for a“combo unit”—a long table and bench—that can accommodate up to five youngchildren per side.

We set up a workshop in the basement of

our home. With personal funds, moneyraised by Regional Security Officer ScottMooneyham and financial assistance fromseveral friends in America, we employed alocal skilled carpenter, Mario Malamlela,and his assistant Pedro, and bought extrabuilding materials to complete the work. Ina few weeks, we produced our first schoolfurniture.

This experimental project has become areal success, and new arrivals to theembassy in 2005 and 2006 donated theirwooden shipping crates to our project. Withthis wood, we built 20 “combos” and twoheavy-duty teacher’s desks and distributedthem to rural schools. We plan to continuethe project and hope to see more childrensitting on proper furniture.

Something similar could beimplemented at other embassies overseas.

All employees are entitled to their shippingcrates, so that is already 50 percent of theproject. The other 50 percent is gettingfunds for the labor and additional materialsto make the furniture. Mwana is availablefor consultation.

Because of our work with communityprojects in the rural areas of Swaziland,Chargé d’Affaires Lynn Allison nominatedme for the 2006 Secretary of State’s Awardfor Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad.Along with four other regional winners, Iproudly accepted the award last Decemberon behalf of Mwana and the other embassyemployees who care about the children ofSwaziland. ■

The author is the ambassador’s officemanagement specialist at the U.S. Embassyin Mbabane.


Completed furniture is ready tobe delivered. Right: CarpenterMario Malamlela, foreground, andhis helper Pedro are busy at work.

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S/CT is the descendant of an office thatwas created as a direct result of the MunichOlympics terrorist attack in 1972. Since9/11, the office has worked with otherbureaus and departments to block hundredsof millions of dollars in terrorism-relatedassets and material support, assist in stop-ping numerous high-threat terrorists andhelp other nations build their counter-terrorism capacity. The office alsocoordinates with the Department of Justiceand other agencies to bring suspectedterrorists residing overseas to justice.

Through Rye, I first heard about an

Iraqi-American hostage in Baghdad I willcall Samer.

Samer immigrated to the United Stateswhen he was in his teens. He joined themilitary as a way of saying thank you to hisnewly adopted country and was sent to Iraqafter the war started. He was abducted byarmed gunmen in Baghdad. No word washeard from him for months until a few daysbefore that three-day weekend, and thenonly through a videotape that was releasedby his abductors.

Rye asked me to look at the tape, whichhe and an interagency task force were

analyzing for vital clues about Samer’s loca-tion. My 25 years in information technologyhave brought me some specialized skills thatwould perhaps allow me to retrieve the textof the message of that brief tape.

In two hours I extracted six words andreported my findings to Rye. “So far you’vegotten us the first results we’ve seen,”he said.

Each bit was more difficult. I worked onthe file the rest of the weekend. After 20 orso hours, I was able to extract the full text.

I hope my toil helps Rye and his teamfind Samer and get him out unharmed.After the time I spent with his imageover that weekend, I feel a strange bondwith him.

I finally handed in my thesis, too. ■

The author is completing an assignmentas information management officer at theU.S. Embassy in Seoul. His next assignmentis London.

‘IT’ SPECIALIST APPLIES SKILLS TO HOSTAGE VIDEOTAPE BY MICHAEL BRICKER

A Worthwhile Weekend


The author, right, shakeshands with Deputy SecretaryJohn Negroponte during thelatter’s visit to Seoul.

I was looking forward to a three-day weekendputting the finishing touches on my Army WarCollege thesis when I was approached by ErikRye from the Office of the Coordinator forCounterterrorism to look at a grainy videotape.


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ERSHYBRID BAND BRIDGES MUSICAL TRADITIONS—AND CULTURES BY KATE RICHE

It’s 8 p.m. at a crowded theater in a working-class Casablancaneighborhood, and the hall is filled with an excited hum. Then therestless crowd of young Moroccans grows silent, as from behind adark curtain onstage the sounds of an oud and a violin join amysterious guitar strum. Suddenly, a percussionist cracks twobeats, and the crowd erupts into cheers as the curtain parts toreveal the seven members of Kantara launching into a signaturepiece of their Arab-Appalachian stylings.

ARAB-APPALACHIAN?

Foreign Service officer and multi-instrumentalist BrennanGilmore often receives bemused looks when describing the soundhe and his band, Kantara, have created. Arab-Appalachian fusion ishardly a conventional musical marriage. But once Kantara beginsto play, skepticism fades and audiences become instant fans.

Kantara—“bridge” in Arabic—brings together two distinctmusical traditions and the two cultures they represent. The groupis the brainchild of Gilmore and renowned Tunisian musicianRiadh Fehri. They met when Gilmore was serving in the politicalsection of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and became fast friends andmusical collaborators.

“Even Riadh and I were surprised how well our two traditionsblended,” Gilmore says. “Before exploring the fusion with Kantara,I would have never guessed that music from the Arab world andfrom Appalachia had so much in common.”

After their successful initial partnership, Gilmore and Fehriadded members to the fold. Gilmore introduced bass player ZackBlatter, fiddle player Ann Marie Calhoun and her husband,guitarist Brian Calhoun, longtime associates from the UnitedStates. Riadh rounded out the group with esteemed Tunisianpercussionist Mehdi Zouaoui and vocalist Amel Boukhchina.

PEACE THROUGH MUSIC

Kantara in Morocco, front from left—AnnMarie Calhoun, Brennan Gilmore and BrianCalhoun; back from left—Zack Blatter, AmelBoukhchina, Riadh Fehri and Lassaad Hosni.

FRESH AND ORIGINAL

Kantara’s repertoire ranges from original compositions to freshinterpretations of time-honored Appalachian and Arab folk songs,with arrangements that blend the two traditions. And it’s not onlythe inventive and energetic melodies that attract audiences, butalso the message of cooperation and appreciation between Ameri-cans and Arabs. Newspapers hail their artistry as “a musical bridgebetween peoples” and “a message of love, peace andcommunication.”

In Tunisia, the group has played venues ranging from a schoolfor handicapped children to the prestigious music festival at theRoman Theater at Carthage. Kantara has played at the residencesof U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec and Deputy Chief of MissionDavid Ballard. At every stop the band talks to and connects withits audiences.

“Music is a powerful means of communication betweencultures, and a way to accept each other’s differences whilefocusing on similarities,” Fehri says.

Former Tunis Consular Chief Nora Dempsey organized thegroup’s performances for Arab immigrant communities inFlorence, Italy, where she serves as consul general. The group hassince performed before audiences of all sizes during Department-sponsored tours in Italy, France, Tunisia and Morocco, spreadingits message of cross-cultural understanding between two diverse

people. The response during and afterperformances has been phenomenal.

“We knew the target audience had beenreached when the ululating started in the backof the hall and the 11-year-old girls starteddancing in the aisles,” said U.S. ConsulGeneral in Marseilles Philip Breeden.

One young Tunisian residing in France toldGilmore that the concert was the first timehe’d had a positive image of the United States.When the group played to packed theaters inRabat and Casablanca, young fans jumped outof their seats, dancing and clappingthroughout the shows. As band membersstrolled through a marketplace in Morocco,they were welcomed by vendors who hadheard or read about them in the local media.

Tunisian newspapers noted that Kantarasowed joy throughout the audience with itsdisplay of jubilatory art.

TRANSFORMATIONAL MUSIC

Most who have heard Kantara note theseemingly limitless influence this ingenuousalliance might have.

“The synergy of the convergence of Eastand West in Kantara’s music speaks to thehearts of young people in Tunisia,contributing to the success of the programsmy staff has arranged,” said Patricia Kabra,public affairs officer in Tunis.

Gilmore and his partners have answered Secretary Rice’s call fortransformational diplomacy with transformational music and amessage that impresses even those normally wary of the U.S. andits policies. In October 2006, Gilmore received the Secretary’sAward for Public Outreach for his work with Kantara. After asuccessful multicountry tour that wrapped up in March, the bandspent the spring in the United States, recording an album andplaying for audiences in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, includinga performance at the Kennedy Center.

In July, the group returned to Italy to play with the SicilianSymphony Orchestra, and brought contemporary harmony to theancient ruins of the Roman coliseum in El Jem, Tunisia.

Wherever Kantara finds itself next, its ability to offer tangibleproof of cross-cultural understanding will most likely continue tobe significant.

“Kantara’s extraordinary music brings Americans and Arabscloser,” said Ambassador Godec. “It brings home, in a way thatonly music can do, our common humanity and inspiration. It istransformational.”

For a taste of Kantara’s unique sound, visit the group’s Web siteat www.kantaramusic.com. ■

The author is a first-tour consular officer at the U.S. Embassyin Tunis.

Performing in Milan are, from left, Brian Calhoun,Ann Marie Calhoun, Riadh Fehri, Brennan Gilmore,Amel Boukhchina, Lassaad Hosni and Zack Blatter.


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Ricardo Gibert, left, and Phil Valdez, two ofthe 40 permanently assigned DiplomaticSecurity agents at the U.S. Embassy inBaghdad, enjoy a restful moment.

When a suicide bomber attacked the Iraqi Council of Represen-tatives (parliament) in April, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’sRegional Security Office team responded quickly, demonstratingcourage and commitment in a crucial front of the war againstterror.

On the day of the deadly bombing, the Council ofRepresentatives had adjourned for lunch and Iraqis sat togethereating in the parliamentary cafeteria. Suddenly, a loud explosionshook the room. Smoke and dust filled the air, and people ran fortheir lives, leaving the wounded and dying behind.

The International Zone police alerted the Regional SecurityOffice that a suicide bombing had occurred. The Baghdad office isthe largest in the world, complete with a team of Diplomatic Secu-rity agents and personal security details supported by fleets ofhelicopters for airlift, fire support and medical evacuation missionsaround Iraq. Around the International Zone, they work closely withthe military to ensure the safety and security of embassy personnel,along with their Iraqi counterparts.

The RSO teams dispatched more than 100 people, and 25 Black-water medics joined the U.S. Embassy doctor and other specialiststo begin treating wounded Iraqis.

MORAL RESPONSEThis quick response, said Senior Regional Security Officer

Randall Bennett, was a moral issue, “just like when we send outour helicopters to carry soldiers back to the hospital. We have theability to help, and if we don’t, people may die. And that is just notacceptable.”

As the medics rushed to the injured, RSO security teams fannedout across the compound to provide a cordon of security for thepeople within. A shuttle system used the RSO’s armored and armed

ambulances to run the casualties to the nearest military hospital. DS Agent Ricardo Gibert performed a preliminary analysis of

the damage.“We went upstairs to review the scene, looking for the obvious

components of the bomber and the bomb,” he said. “As we lookedaround, all the cell phones were going off as loved ones and friendswere trying to call, knowing something had happened.”

After the severely wounded were on their way to the hospital,RSO medical teams began searching for the walking wounded. Oneteam climbed 13 stories in the Al-Rasheed Hotel to examine awoman who had staggered through the lobby. Others among thewounded had wandered over to nearby offices. They were soonlocated, checked and released.

UNIQUE PRIVILEGEIn coordination with the U.S. Army K-9 team, the embassy’s

Explosive Ordnance Disposal team searched and secured thebuilding. That evening, following a joint Iraqi/ Coalition investiga-tion, the RSO security teams began to dismantle their perimeter asthe Iraqi Army reclaimed responsibility for the site.

The bomb attack killed one council representative and seriouslywounded scores of others, but the effective response of the well-trained RSO teams may have prevented further injuries.

“There is not another Diplomatic Security team or operation likethis in the world,” Bennett said, “and the privilege that we all have isphenomenal. When they leave here, they leave here with great prideand self-respect for the work they do, because they literally savelives every single day.” ■

The author was until recently a member of the Public Affairs GlobalOutreach Team at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

EMBASSY SECURITY TEAM RESPONDS QUICKLY TO IRAQ BOMBINGBY ADRIEL DOMENECH

Saving Lives


“I believe that the entire Department recognizes that thosesecurity officers in the field are taking their own lives intotheir hands to make it possible for the rest of us to do our jobs.”

—Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,Discovery-Times Channel interview,

Aug. 15, 2005

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A mountain gorilla strikes athoughtful pose in Rwanda'sVolcanoes National Park.

Modern Rwanda Reflects a Calmand Pleasant Beauty

By Brian George

P O S T O F T H E M O N T H<<<


Kigali


Looking down meticulously swept streets, lined with trees andflowering tropical plants, it can be difficult to reconcile the calmbeauty of Kigali with the chaos and destruction the city witnessedduring the 100 days of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

People have used many phrases, such as “Rwanda rising” or“Rwanda reborn,” to describe one of the most dynamic countriesin the region and one that has taken great strides towardovercoming the legacy of the genocide. As Rwanda’s largest bilat-eral donor, the U.S. government is an active partner in therebuilding process, making this an exciting time to serve at theU.S. Embassy in Kigali.

Though Rwanda is just south of the equator, its averagealtitude of 5,000 feet keeps temperatures mild throughout theyear. The average 24-hour temperature in Kigali is a comfortable73 degrees.

In the MistKnown as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda features low

mountains that give way in the east to the savannah of AkageraNational Park and in the west to the jagged peaks of VolcanoesNational Park, home to the world’s largest population of mountaingorillas made famous through the research of Dian Fossey.

Thanks to concerted efforts to eliminate poaching and providea safe and secure tourism experience, more than 12,000 tourists

visited the gorillas last year, with Americans by far the largestgroup.

Other tourism attractions and popular weekend destinationsfor mission staff include Gisenyi and Kibuye, resort towns onLake Kivu that enjoy spectacular vistas of the lake andsurrounding hills, and Akagera National Park, a game reserve thatis home to a wide range of savannah animals, including elephants,giraffes, zebras, hippos and a number of antelope species.

A recent addition to Rwanda’s tourism trail is the NyungweForest, where visitors can encounter more than 75 mammalspecies, including chimpanzees and rare colobus monkeys. Devel-

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Above: A scenic view of Lake Kivu from Kibuye. Right: Formerself-help program coordinator Victoria Golbus visits school

children who benefit from the program.


AT A GLANCE: RWANDA

CapitalKigali

Total area26,338 square kilometers

Approximate sizeSlightly smaller than Maryland

GovernmentRepublic

IndependenceJuly 1, 1962 (from a Belgium-administered UN trusteeship)

Population9.9 million

Ethnic groupsHutu (Bantu), Tutsi (Hamitic) andTwa (Pygmy)

LanguagesKinyarwanda, French, English andKiswahili

CurrencyRwandan franc (RWF)

Per capita income$1,600

Population below poverty line60 percent

Import commoditiesFood, machinery and steel

Import partnersKenya (18.9 percent), Uganda (6.6percent) and Belgium (5.8 percent)

Export commoditiesCoffee, tea and hides

Export partnersGermany (11 percent), China (6.5percent) and Belgium (4.5 percent)

Internet country code.rw

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2007

opment of the forest as a sustainabletourism site is being aided through aU.S. Agency for International Develop-ment-supported biodiversity project.

Weekends in Kigali center on tennis,golf and other sporting activities; restau-rant outings; and the occasional culturalevent. New restaurants continue tosprout up, including Kigali’s firstwestern-style coffee shop, complete withwireless Internet access. Plans are afootfor a number of entertainment venues.

Construction has reached anadvanced stage on a new embassycompound scheduled to open nextJanuary. The compound, which is tohouse all mission elements, willmarkedly improve working conditions,accelerate the integration of foreignassistance operations and moreaccurately reflect the growing U.S.-Rwanda bilateral relationship.

With more than 40 direct-hire Ameri-cans from State, the Department ofDefense, USAID and the Centers forDisease Control, along with a MarineSecurity Guard detachment, the missionhas grown rapidly in the past five years.

Focus CountryForeign assistance programs are likely

to total more than $150 million in 2007.Rwanda is a focus country for both thePresident’s Emergency Plan for AIDSRelief and his Malaria Initiative, makinghealth programs the largest singleelement of U.S. government assistance.CDC, DOD and USAID all are activelyinvolved in implementing the PEPFARprogram, while CDC and USAID areworking to rapidly scale up the malariaprogram.

In addition to its work with theRwandan Defense Forces to combatHIV/AIDS in the military, DOD funds anumber of humanitarian assistanceprojects and has facilitated the participa-tion of Rwandan troops in the AfricanUnion’s peacekeeping mission in Darfur,Sudan. Through the Africa ContingencyOperations Training and Assistanceprogram, the U.S. provides critical assis-tance to Rwandan battalions before theirdeployment to Darfur.

Despite its successes, Rwanda is chal-lenged by being a land-locked countrywith a small market and few naturalresources. It faces major obstacles in


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attracting direct foreign investment, and its per capita gross domesticproduct of $230 marks it as one of the poorest countries in the world.

While school enrollment and literacy rates are climbing quickly, thecountry continues to suffer from the loss of a large percentage of itseducated class during the genocide, and skilled labor is in shortsupply. The weak economic infrastructure presents both professionaland personal challenges for mission staff.

Overcoming BarriersThe mission is helping Rwanda overcome some of the barriers to

economic development. Most notably, with USAID assistance Rwandahas moved from producing no specialty coffee to being recognized byStarbucks, Intelligentsia Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee and others asa source of some of the highest-quality coffee in the world. Moreimportant, this new market is providing additional income for thou-sands of farmers.

In 2006 the United States and Rwanda signed a Trade andInvestment Framework Agreement that provides a platform forexpanded cooperation on economic issues. The Ambassador’s Self-Help Fund directly supports community-based, income-generatingprojects and also provides an opportunity for the mission staff whoserve as project sponsors to get to know ordinary Rwandans and theconditions in which they live.

Critical to Rwanda’s long-term development is peace and stabilityin the Great Lakes region. While no longer a threat to Rwanda’snational security, the presence of rebel groups in the easternDemocratic Republic of the Congo continues to be a drag oneconomic development and regional integration.

As the facilitator of the Tripartite Plus mechanism—which providesa forum for the governments of Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda and

Above: Traditional dancers perform for visiting embassy officials. Below left:Former assistant regional security officer Matthew Golbus, middle, and USAIDprogram officer Christophe Tocco, right, set forth on Lake Kivu with a friend atthe helm. Right: Mist rises over an extinct volcano in Volcanoes National Park.


Top: Deputy Chief of Mission MichaelThurston joins a community group cel-ebrating its embassy support. Left:The embassy soccer team winds downafter a match. Above: A mountaingorilla relaxes.

A CDC community health worker coun-sels a client at a PEPFAR-sponsoredHIV/AIDS voluntary counseling andtesting site. Below: Assistant generalservices officer Andres Valdes, secondfrom left, and Major Danny Huynh, farright, take a dugout canoe ride withfriends on Lake Muhazi.

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Uganda—the U.S. government has successfullypromoted the peaceful resolution of contentiousissues and is helping participant countries develop acommon strategy for dealing with negative forces inthe region.

In 2006, Rwanda became eligible for theMillennium Challenge Corporation’s thresholdprogram, which opens opportunities for the UnitedStates to expand its already substantial engagementon democracy and governance issues.

While the challenges are great, the signs ofprogress are clear. The government’s emphasis onproviding a safe, clean, corruption-free environmenthas not escaped the world’s attention. That, coupledwith natural beauty and an excellent climate, ismaking Rwanda a destination of choice for a growingnumber of tourists and resident expatriates. ■

The author is the public affairs officer at the U.S.Embassy in Kigali.

Fishermen on Lake Kivu. Below: Embassy staffand friends enjoy a barbecue at the embassy'sproperty on Lake Muhazi.

★


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Frontline Diplomats Confronta Changing World

By Bill Palmer

Speaker after speaker at Foreign Affairs Day

2007 on May 4 emphasized the same thing:

The 21st-century world is very different from

the 20th-century world, and that fact has large

implications for U.S. foreign policy and the

State Department.

FOREIGNAFFAIRS

DAY


With Secretary Condoleezza Rice in Egypt, Deputy SecretaryJohn Negroponte was the morning keynote speaker. He told morethan 400 Department retirees and their guests that while the core oftraditional diplomacy—maintaining relations with counterpartstates—hasn’t changed, we must increasingly work to help bringstability to weak and failed states—places where we have noeffective counterparts. “Today’s problems require a new kind ofdiplomat,” he said.

Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns elaborated:

“Increasingly, American diplomats are on the front lines.” They arenot just analyzing, he noted. “We increasingly ask young people togo out and run programs.”

Deputy Secretary Negroponte said that despite a fourfoldincrease in limited-accompaniment and unaccompanied positionssince 2001, both the Foreign Service and Civil Service haveanswered the Secretary’s call to serve in difficult posts.

He added that the United States is making it a priority to work inthose countries that need the most help and said the alignment

DACOR Foreign Service Cup winnerRobert H. Miller, center, is applauded byDACOR President Daniel O’Donohue, left,and Deputy Secretary John Negroponte.

Left: Paul Wackerbarth, of Falls Church, Va., said he has been to every Foreign Affairs Day since retiring in 2000 after a 34-year career. He was posted toWarsaw in 1989, when communism fell. Other noteworthy postings included Tegucigalpa and Brasilia. Right: Marilyn and Reuben Lev attended from theirhome in Aspen Hill, Md. Reuben joined the Foreign Service in 1961. Marilyn taught in Chile and Belgium while Reuben worked for the embassy and NATO,respectively. He was a professor at Trinity College between two stints with the Department. “This is a special day,” Marilyn said.


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between foreign policy and foreignassistance is being tightened.

Under Secretary for Management Henri-etta Fore outlined some manifestations ofTransformational Diplomacy, such as thegrowth of one- or two-officer Americanpresence posts and no-officer virtual pres-ence posts that mobilize diplomaticresources to build engagement with targetcommunities.

She highlighted the Department’s contin-uing effort to achieve greater efficienciesthrough shared services, centers ofexcellence and centralized domesticprocurement. She praised the new year-round, multistep recruiting process, whichwill bring in new officers more quickly.

Though most speakers focused on newdiplomatic responses to a changingenvironment, Burns emphasized thatthere is a continuum in U.S. foreign policy.“We’re standing on your shoulders,” he toldthe audience.

The annual presentation of the DACOR(Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired)Foreign Service Cup harked back to theVietnam era. It was awarded to AmbassadorRobert H. Miller, who was involved with

Southeast Asia from the early 1960s throughthe 1970s. He participated in the Vietnampeace talks and dealt with the aftermath ofthe war, including the refugee issue. Inretirement, he has written three books andbeen an adjunct professor at Georgetownand George Washington universities, as wellas serving as president of DACOR.

American Foreign Service AssociationPresident Tony Holmes and Under SecretaryBurns presided at AFSA’s annual memorialplaque ceremony. “Diplomacy is increasinglydangerous,” Burns said. “We have diplomatsliving under incoming artillery fire inBasrah and Baghdad just over the last week.”He and Holmes unveiled the names of threeadditional fallen diplomats who join the 222others on the plaque.

Margaret Alexander, a Foreign Serviceofficer with the U.S. Agency forInternational Development, was killed lastSept. 26 in a helicopter crash in Nepal. Shewas developing a national park on the thirdhighest mountain in the world, Burns said.

The other two names were belated addi-tions. Doris G. Knittle served as a ForeignService nurse in Kabul, Afghanistan, whereshe was murdered in her home in 1970.

Henry W. Antheil Jr., a clerk at the U.S.legation in Helsinki, was in a passengerplane that was shot down over the Gulf ofFinland near Tallinn, Estonia, in 1940,while he was serving as a diplomaticcourier. Burns thanked the ambassadors ofEstonia and Finland, who were present tohonor Antheil.

After the ceremony, retirees dispersed tovarious seminars, including a panel discus-sion on the safety of U.S. ports, thenregathered for a luncheon in the BenjaminFranklin Room. Director General GeorgeStaples toasted the 400th anniversary of thefounding of Jamestown and then presentedthe two Director General cups.

The Civil Service Cup winner was ThomasJefferson, who was cited for his leadership indeveloping the terms of the consent decreein the settlement of class action lawsuits,which opened new career vistas for manywomen and minority employees.

The Foreign Service Cup went to HarrietElam-Thomas, who served as a senior U.S.Information Agency officer and ambassadorto Senegal. She was recognized for hercourageous efforts to bridge cultures inmany different countries and change

Keynote speaker James L. Jonesaddresses luncheon guests in theBenjamin Franklin Room.


perceptions of the United States. The luncheon keynote speaker was

retired Marine Corps General James L.Jones, former supreme allied commander,Europe, and currently president of theU.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute forEnergy. He contrasted the bipolar, some-what predictable 20th century with themultipolar, asymmetric, unpredictable21st century—“the century of disorder.”

He said the United States needs to beagile to meet the challenges of a timewhen solutions don’t necessarily hinge onwho has the biggest military. He urgedcohesive coordination of all elements ofthe national interest and doing more toempower ambassadors and other forward-based U.S. officials. He said the U.S. mustrepair its good name by taking a leadingrole on issues such as the environment,narcotics, genocide, poverty and hunger.

Bureau of Human Resources SpecialEvents Coordinator Chryss Hernandezand more than 40 volunteers smoothlymanaged the day’s many events. ■

The author is a writer/editor atState Magazine.

Barry Wells, right, accepts the DirectorGeneral’s Civil Service Cup on behalf ofThomas Jefferson Jr. from DG Staples.

DG George Staples poses with HarrietElam-Thomas, winner of the DirectorGeneral’s Foreign Service Cup.


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JEFFERSON FELLOW PROMOTESS&T EXCHANGES WITH AFRICABY OSAMA O. AWADELKARIM

Despite great tension, suspicion and misconceptions between theUnited States and many countries in the developing world, Americanscience and technology capabilities are still viewed very favorably. TheDepartment has taken steps to broaden programs and contacts withscientists in developing countries, especially Africa, where there is a crit-ical need for S&T to help reduce poverty and promote economic growth.

Last January, as a Jefferson Science Fellow, I took the first step inbridging the gap with African scientists by traveling to Nigeria, SouthAfrica and Botswana. In Abuja, Nigeria, I joined scientists and sciencepolicymakers from more than 10 African countries in the “U.S.-AfricaWorkshop of Frontiers in Materials Research and Education.”

In South Africa, I participated in the “6th Edward Bouchet Abdus-Salam Institute International Conference,” followed by a workshop innanosciences in Cape Town. More than 300 African scientistsrepresenting more than 20 African countries joined several Americansfrom the National Science Foundation-funded International MaterialInstitutes.

In both Abuja and Cape Town, I gave an overview of the JeffersonScience Fellows Program, which is administered by the Office of theScience and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State.

The African scientists I met all shared the perception that the U.S.government often ignores them, missing opportunities for dialogue on

Science &TechnologyAbroad


S&T issues or social and political issues.Thus, my participation as a representativeof State in all the events was opportune andwell received. U.S. scientists are a valuableasset for reaching out to Africa to win thehearts and minds of an influential sector ofAfrican civil society.

Mainly, material scientists and engineersparticipated in these gatherings. Thesegroups enjoy far less contact with their U.S.counterparts than the more visible agricul-tural, environmental and health scientists.The good news is that material scientistsand engineers in Africa have come togetherto form several Pan-African research facili-ties, networks and associations.

Africa’s increased interest in S&T presentsan opportunity for U.S. public diplomacy. Atthe African Union Summit held in Ethiopiain January, leaders of 53 African countriespledged to make 2007 “The Year of Scienceand Technology in Africa.” They promisedthat every country would attempt to allocateat least 1 percent of its gross domesticproduct to S&T.

Several African countries, such asRwanda and Uganda, are alreadynegotiating loans with the World Bank tofinance S&T infrastructure. The Group ofEight has agreed to help rebuild someexisting research facilities and academicinstitutions in Africa, as well as build newcenters of excellence in science.

During my African tour, I visited the site

of the first of these centers, the NelsonMandela African Institute of Science andTechnology in Abuja. It is expected to admitits first group of students next academicyear. It is exploring ties with Americanuniversities and communicating withAmerican researchers.

There are several ways State cancontribute to boosting scientific capacity inAfrica. One is to initiate or reenergize S&Tprograms and agreements with Africancountries and agencies. This would promoteAfrican scientists’ access to cutting-edgeresearch and opportunities in the UnitedStates and facilitate collaboration withAmerican scientists. Efforts are currentlyunder way in the African Bureau’s Office ofPublic Diplomacy and Public Affairs, theBureau of Oceans and InternationalEnvironment and Scientific Affairs’ Officeof Science and Technology Cooperation,and the Office of the Science andTechnology Advisor to the Secretary toexamine the best ways of promoting S&Tinteractions with Africa.

More funding for scholarship and fellow-ship programs to increase the number ofAfrican scientists trained and educated inthe United States is of prime importance, asis increased funding for visits by U.S. scien-tists to research and education institutionsin Africa. These visits could involve re-search, teaching or participation inscientific meetings and workshops.

Considering the large Chinese, Indianand European involvement in African scien-tist training, increased efforts by the UnitedStates in this area are critical. EnhancingAfrica’s participation in the Fulbright S&TAward Program, recently launched by theBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,is a good start. Relaxing post–9/11 visarestrictions for visiting scientists, especiallythose coming from Africa, would help agreat deal.

The most important contribution theU.S. government can make in fostering S&Tawakening in Africa is in K–12 mathematicsand science education. Education in Africasuffers from a legacy of underfunding, lackof trained personnel and inadequate facili-ties and materials. These adverse conditionsare more pronounced in mathematics andscience education.

The U.S. Agency for International Devel-opment is providing valuable help throughscholarships, textbooks and teacher andadministrator training programs. But verylittle, if any, of this help goes toward mathe-matics and science education. A shift in aidtoward mathematics and science would go along way in helping African countries buildtheir S&T capacity. ■

The author, who is completing his assignmentas a Jefferson Science Fellow, is a professor ofengineering science and mechanics at PennState University.

The audience, left, listens closely as Professor Awadelkarim,below, explains his role at the State Department during hisAfrica trip.


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December 30, 2005, marked a significantmilestone in the special relationshipbetween the U.S. and Liberian governments.

On that date, two special agents from theDepartment of State’s Bureau of DiplomaticSecurity arrived in Liberia to set the stagefor a two-pronged mission: provide tempo-rary security for Africa’s first female head ofstate and transform Liberia’s Special Secu-rity Service into a professional presidentialprotective force as the nation emerged from14 years of civil war.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Ricedirected DS to undertake this missionfollowing then-President-elect EllenJohnson Sirleaf ’s request for assistanceprompted by the fragile securityenvironment in Liberia.

In the two weeks it took Liberia’sNational Elections Commission to retrieveand count election ballots, supporters ofSirleaf ’s political rival, presidentialcandidate George Weah, launched violentprotests in Monrovia. These protests furtherchallenged the fragile peace environmentafter the 14-year-old civil war.

Complicating basic law enforcement,Liberian police and security personnelcarried no weapons because of a 2003 disar-mament program. Security was, and inmany respects remains, the responsibility ofthe 15,000-strong United Nations Missionin Liberia.

Into this chaotic scenario DS specialagents Michael Lombardo and Paul Bauerarrived to develop a protective security

mission for President-elect Sirleaf. Theywere joined two days later in Monrovia by18 additional agents from the Office ofMobile Security Deployments and a tacticalmedical officer from the Department ofHomeland Security.

MSD is the Department’s civilianresponse force that deploys to protect indi-viduals abroad during periods of highthreat or crisis. It also provides specializedsecurity training at Foreign Service posts.

“We faced considerable challenges on theground,” Bauer said. “We had to set upeverything and had very limited resources.”

TIGHT SCHEDULEWith the Liberian presidential inaugura-

tion scheduled for January 16, 2006, the DSteam had to work quickly.

Bauer received assistance from DS’ chiefrepresentative in Monrovia, Regional Secu-rity Officer Chuck Lisenbee, and from DS

Diplomatic Security Team Supports TransformationalDemocracy in Liberia By David Bates

SECURITY FIRST

Liberian President EllenJohnson Sirleaf wavesto well-wishers asmembers of her DSprotective detail scanthe crowd.

security engineering officers stationed atU.S. posts in neighboring countries. Togeth-er, they conducted security surveys of andcreated command posts in President-electSirleaf ’s official executive mansion and herresidence.

At the executive mansion—a six-floorstructure that had been the site of theviolent military coup that toppled theWilliam Tolbert government—DS alsohelped install closed-circuit surveillancecameras, security lighting and other securityinfrastructure.

In addition to protecting the president-elect and training her new SSS personnel,DS also prepared for the inaugurationceremony. DS personnel created a commu-

nications network, analyzed motorcaderoutes, planned for medical evacuations,identified members of the Liberian policeand UNMIL who could provide supportand delivered much-needed armored vehi-cles and other equipment.

On January 16, under the watchful eye ofher temporary DS security team and withSecretary Rice and First Lady Laura Bushlooking on, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wasinaugurated.

“Everyone was there—President Bush’sprotective detail (protecting First LadyBush), the Secretary of State’s protectivedetail and several other high-profile guests,”Bauer said.

But despite all the planning, the newpresident put her security team to the testby changing her post-inaugural plans.

“At the end of the inauguration,President Sirleaf decided that she wanted totake a victory lap of the whole city ofMonrovia,” Bauer said. “We had to scrambleto make it possible.”

AROUND THE CLOCKBy February 15, the initial team of 18 DS

special agents had rotated out of Liberia.They were replaced by two fresh MSDteams of 12 agents, 12 U.S.-based DS fieldagents and another DHS tactical medicalofficer.

The new teams worked two shifts toprovide around-the-clock protection forPresident Sirleaf. In addition to their longworkdays, DS personnel sometimes facedadditional—and unique—challenges. Forexample, on return flights to Monroviafrom rural visits to the interior of Liberia,the DS security team often shared spacewith small farm animals that Liberian triballeaders had presented as traditional gifts tohonor their new president.

Besides protecting President Sirleafaround the clock, DS personnel were busyvetting, training and standing up a newpresidential security force. Heading up thiseffort was special agent John Frese, a DSveteran who had served two previous toursof duty in Liberia.

Frese was familiar with the potentialdangers facing the Liberian president andher new security service. In April 1996,Frese spent two days driving acrossMonrovia through gunfire, looting andfighting among three different militias tosave some 250 U.S. citizens who had beentrapped in and around the capital. His

Amid the acrid, heavy smell of burningplastic and diesel exhaust, I scanned therapidly growing crowd that had gatheredoutside the airport like a swarm of bees.

Loud, distorted music blared from anold loudspeaker atop a banged-upminibus, and I struggled to hear the radiocalls of my security detail through theearpiece as I waited in the lead policevehicle.

The crowd at the Monrovia municipalairport was near frenzy in anticipation oftheir president’s return from a long trip tothe United States. The drop holster duginto my leg as I turned in the front seat to

look for bad guys—then the call cameover my radio.

“Okay, let’s go. Police lead, let’s get outtahere,” said special agent Chris Freitus, theshift leader.

As the DS agent assigned to ride in thelead police vehicle, radio information andscan for threats and traffic, I turned toJames, the local driver, and told him thatwe needed to begin navigating our vener-able Nissan Patrol through the crowd. Helooked dismayed, but then he saw theheadlights of the presidential limousine inthe rearview mirror. He gunned the smalldiesel engine to life and yelled for the

crowd to move as we nudged the Nissanthrough the stilt-walkers, drum-beaters,hand-clappers and chest-thumpers.

James yelled for the Liberian policemotorcycle escorts to part the human tide,now in enthusiastic high gear andcompletely enveloping us. Inches yieldedto feet, feet to meters and the motorcadechugged through the undulating tide ofhumanity.

MISDIRECTIONThe motorcade arrived at the executive

mansion within four minutes, and chaosbroke out among the now-confused


INSIDE LOOK:

GUARDING A PRESIDENT ON THE GROUND IN LIBERIA BY ERIK ANTONS

This group of Liberian presidential security servicetrainees received instruction at a Diplomatic SecurityAntiterrorism Assistance training facility in Louisiana.

Liberian police and Special SecurityService agents at the mansion—PresidentSirleaf was missing from the motorcade.

“We need to get back to the airport,”James yelled. “There’s no one in the limo.”

“Stand by,” I responded. “It will all makesense in a minute.”

Within seconds, we heard a RussianMI-8 (Hip) helicopter thumping its waythrough the humid mid-morning air. Andthen we heard another Hip.

Special agent Joe Dogonniuk, “Joe-dog,”signaled “all clear” for thelanding on the paradegrounds as the white UNchopper slowed to a hover.While one Hip circled themansion grounds, the firstlanded amid a team of DSagents. After the rotors cameto a stop, the door opened toreveal Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,the 67-year-old president ofLiberia, or “Oma” to herconstituents.

Now I could tell James,the other police officers andthe SSS personnel hastilyassembled outside the execu-tive mansion why we left theairport without thepresident.

I explained that 24 hoursbefore the president’s arrival,information emerged abouta potential attack on hermotorcade. The DS teamleaders decided it would besafer to transport JohnsonSirleaf from the airport to the executivemansion by helicopter instead of by land.

When the DS agents in the motorcadereceived word that she was en route, thedecoy motorcade left the municipal airportexpecting the worst—to draw fire fromattackers. As the police lead, I was first inline. To make matters even moreharrowing, I was in the only unarmoredvehicle.

After James heard the rest of the story,he gave me a wide smile and shook mysweaty hand, ending with the traditionalsnap of each other’s fingers.

DEVOTED AGENTSMost of us on the DS team found the

SSS agents to be committed and devotedto their president’s safety. Despite their

difficult working conditions andsometimes intermittent compensation—the average monthly wage for a Liberianpolice officer was the equivalent of $14,$20 for an SSS agent—those assigned toprotect President Sirleaf demonstratedremarkable dedication andprofessionalism.

Most of them had not been paid in twomonths. Several walked up to five milesevery morning to be at work by 8 a.m.Many were actually homeless and

squatting in government buildings orrenting modest apartments with theirfamilies.

Despite all of these obstacles, theyalways appeared and acted professionally—the SSS agents in suits and policeofficers in uniforms.

The extent of their dedication wasdriven home one day while I discussedwith an SSS agent preparations for anupcoming presidential trip to a refugeecamp. We reviewed at length the details ofthe camp and the people the presidentwould visit. The agent appearedprofessional in her pressed navy blue suitand smart hairstyle, quite a contrast to myPatagonia button-down shirt, khaki pantsand dusty hiking boots.

When I asked her how she knew so

much about the camp, she nonchalantlyreplied that she had walked five miles tothe camp the previous day, conducted anadvance assessment by herself and campedamong the displaced people that night.

Yet, when I met with her that morning,she had returned with no overnight bag,toiletries or even a sleeping bag.

What the SSS and police lacked in tech-nical proficiency, they made up for inresourcefulness and dedication. AnotherSSS agent named Shedrick one day

explained to me his commitment to themission of protecting the nation’s newlyelected president.

“If we ever hope to have peace, ourleader must be secure,” he said. “Besides,since I was a child I always thought thepresident’s security guys were the coolestpeople around.”

I assured him that his dedication to themission was universal in our field and wasshared by DS, as well.

To that, he smiled widely, shook mysweaty hand and we snapped our fingers.

The author is a DS special agent who servedon the second DS team that arrived inLiberia in February 2006. He is currentlyassigned to the DS Office of Mobile SecurityDeployments.

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Erik Antons, standing, third from right, foundLiberia’s SSS agents committed and devoted.

INSIDE LOOK: GUARDING A PRESIDENT ON THE GROUND IN LIBERIA

efforts earned him the Department’s Awardfor Valor.

“We started entirely from scratch,” Fresesaid of the Monrovia assignment, notingthat the Liberians had virtually no resourcesto protect their new president. “The assetswere all shipped in on very short notice. Idon’t know of any other organization thatcould do it so completely and quickly.”

As an added challenge, the DS team hada limited pool from which to recruit secu-rity professionals inside the country.

“In a place like that, you don’t put outjob ads,” Frese said. Instead, the DS teamvetted hundreds of SSS candidatesrecommended by the new administration.

In Monrovia, DS agents and UN peace-keepers trained SSS agents in basic securitytactics, such as defensive driving andprotective security operations. More than100 SSS agents were selected to receive fourweeks of advanced training from DSAntiterrorism Assistance program instruc-tors in the United States.

By June 15, 2006, the day the last tempo-rary DS security detail left Liberia, some330 SSS agents had completed basic lawenforcement training at UNMIL’s trainingacademy in Monrovia. An additional 101SSS agents had completed advancedsecurity training in the United States, andbasic security infrastructure had beeninstalled at the official presidentialresidence.

Besides standing up the new presidentialprotective force, the DS mission also helpedcement a special relationship with the headof Liberia’s new government, who, Fresesaid, placed her full trust in DS personnel.

“We developed an excellent relationshipwith her,” he said. “She let us take the lead.She was open to ideas. She pretty much letus run the show. She treated us with respectand dignity, and you can’t ask for morethan that.”

Epilogue: Following a September 2006meeting between President Sirleaf and Secre-tary Rice, it was agreed that DS would returnto Liberia to further the professional develop-ment and administration of Sirleaf ’s SSS. ■

The author is the Web site manager and awriter for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’sOffice of Public Affairs.


A Liberian security force trainee participatesin a mobile security protective detail exerciseat an antiterrorism training facility.

Part of the DS detachment escorts LiberianPresident-elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf duringa gathering of African women in Monrovia.


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DEPARTMENT HELPS WOUNDED SERVICE MEMBERSDURING RECOVERY BY VEDA ENGEL

More than 25 State Department bureausand offices support Operation Warfighter, aDepartment of Defense program that hasplaced more than 200 wounded servicemembers in temporary positions in federalagencies. The program provides recuperatingservice members in the Washington, D.C.,area with meaningful activity outside thehospital environment and helps them returnto the military or civilian workforce.

One participant, First Lieutenant DavidFolkerts, works in the Bureau of Educationand Cultural Affairs as a staff assistant. Hebelieves that Operation Warfighter is anexcellent way for recovering servicemembers to update their skills and acquirenew ones and to receive help intransitioning from the military to the

civilian work force. Folkerts was at WalterReed Army Medical Center undergoingtreatment after being injured in a blast inTaji, Iraq, in 2005.

Amazing ExperiencesHe said Operation Warfighter “has been a

great experience” and that the Departmenthas treated him extremely well.

“I’ve had a lot of amazing experiencesand opportunities that I never would havehad” otherwise, he said, pointing to visits tothe White House and meeting Olympicfigure skater Michelle Kwan.

Folkerts said his assignment in ECA hasbeen “a lot of fun and very rewarding.

“It feels good to wake up in the morningand know I actually have work that I look

forward to going to that day,” he said. “Ihave a real feeling of accomplishment at theend of the day.”

Another participant, First LieutenantMartha Martir, serves as a foreign areaofficer in the Bureau of Democracy, HumanRights and Labor.

“Working at State has been a rewardingand mentally stimulating experience forme,” she said.

Martir was injured in Korea and has beenat Walter Reed for three months. She calledher work at the Department “a welcomechange of pace” and identified her involve-ment with the Organization of AmericanStates as a wonderful experience. Martirmajored in history with a Latin Americanstudies minor.

Operation Warfighter

In her office at Main State, First LieutenantMartha Martir examines a map of Korea,where she served with the Army.

Sergeant Jeffrey Monk at his office in Diplomatic Security. First Lieutenant David Folkerts, in his office at a Department annex,wears the Purple Heart he received during his military service.


“This opportunity precisely mirrors myundergraduate studies,” she said. “I’m asignal officer in the Army, and working withDRL has been an exciting departure fromwhat I’ve been doing for the past two years.”

Learning OpportunityCaptain Daniel Downs serves in the

Bureau of Legislative Affairs. Downs wasinjured in Iraq and had been at Walter Reedsince June 2006. He termed OperationWarfighter “a learning opportunity” thatprovides “a better and broaderunderstanding of government and how itfunctions, especially in relation toCongress.”

The fourth Operation Warfighter partici-pant in the Department is Sergeant JeffreyMonk, who was wounded in January by anexplosive device in Al Fallujah, Iraq, on hissecond combat tour. Monk works in theBureau of Diplomatic Security.

“I was welcomed into DS very warmly,and everyone is anxious to help me learnand fit in,” he said.

Program participants get to build theirresumes, explore employment interests,develop job skills and gain valuable federalwork experience.

When first presented to Departmentmanagers in 2005, the concept of OperationWarfighter was unanimously seen as a goodidea. Service members also liked the idea,“So we pushed ahead,” said Patrick Brick,the DOD coordinator.

With Director General George Staples’strong endorsement, the Department placed11 Operation Warfighter programparticipants into positions. The Office ofRecruitment, Examination andEmployment coordinates the program.

When bureaus and offices want to partic-ipate in the program, they send REE a shortposition description of the work that needsto be done, preferably one that does not useDepartment jargon and has few acronyms.REE said the descriptions should be brief,to-the-point and focused on the partici-pants’ work, and have job titles that willcatch participants’ attention.

Numerous Positions The Department has more than 75 posi-

tion descriptions under consideration atDOD, several for multiple openings. Thepositions are in analysis, finance,engineering, general services, humanresources, information technology, adminis-

tration, public affairs and security.Because the program is open to active

duty service members and National Guardand Reserve members, many participantsarrive with considerable civilian andmilitary experience. REE said theDepartment has had the most successplacing military officers.

When participants are assigned to anagency, their work hours depend on theirtreatment schedules, and they normally donot work a 40-hour week. The length of theassignments can range from a few weeks toseveral months.

At a briefing at the Director General’smeeting for Department executive directorsin late 2006, DOD’s Brick said that, formany recovering service members, theprogram is their first work experienceoutside the military. Although Brick’s officeis in DOD’s Military Severely InjuredCenter, he and representatives from federalagencies periodically interview programcandidates at Walter Reed and BethesdaNaval Hospital. ■

The author is a recruiter in REE andcoordinates the Department’s efforts onOperation Warfighter.


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Having the right number of people at theright posts with the right expertise is a keygoal of the right-sized overseas presenceinitiative in the 2002 President’sManagement Agenda. Since approximately80,000 executive branch personnel fromnearly 50 federal agencies make up the U.S.overseas presence, the need to adequatelyplan and account for these employees isdaunting.

To help meet this challenge, the Depart-ment of State mandated the use of the PostPersonnel System in 2004, and PostPersonnel now serves as the official datasource for all U.S. personnel serving underchief of mission authority overseas. TheOffice of Management and Budget hastermed Post Personnel the “gold standard,”or the best means by which agencies withan overseas presence can meet the PMA’sright-sizing goals.

HUMAN RESOURCES SYSTEMPost Personnel is a human resources

management and tracking system thatresides in the Web-based Post Administra-tive Software Suite. It has American, localand Bureau of Overseas BuildingsOperations modules.

The American module tracks all author-

ized U.S.-government positions at post andstores pertinent information on the direct-hire employees who hold those positions.The local module supports the administra-tive and personnel transaction-processingneeds for Locally Employed staff hired atpost. The OBO module is used for planningthe Capital Security Cost Sharing programand the long-range overseas building plans.

Post Personnel resides on 175 serversworldwide. Its data are stored locally andtransmitted backto Washington,where the dataare captured inthe PostPersonnelConsolidatedDatabase. The database allows aggregatereporting and data standardization andreconciliation with other personnel systems.For the first time, regional bureaus can usePost Personnel to access accurate staffingdata on a nearly real-time basis.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENTSPost Personnel implementation enabled

the Department to eliminate redundantpost-specific personnel applications andestablished a single, uniform software plat-

form for capturing data centrally. OMB’sdesignation of Post Personnel as the goldstandard for improving the quality andaccuracy of overseas position data reflectshow well Post Personnel data can beintegrated and/or shared with other finan-cial, inventory and property applicationswithin and outside the Department.

The Bureau of Human Resources haschampioned these integration efforts, andPost Personnel is now the exclusive datasource for the Bureau of Administration’sPost Profiles application, the Bureau ofResource Management’s International Coop-erative Administrative Support Services and

Mission Performance Plan applications andthe OBO’s CSCS application.

Peter Keys, HR’s chief of overseas humanresources applications, noted that severalkey milestones (see time line) have beenmet since the Department mandated use ofPost Personnel by October 2004.

“Across the board, Post Personnel hasresulted in a considerable increase in theconfidence of U.S. overseas personnel data,”he said. “What began as a small utilityapplication with minimal constraints has

Time Line

PostPersonnelProgramMilestones

2003

NOV Post Personnel used at60 missions

2004

FEB Post Personnel WorldwideImplementation Teamestablished

OCT Post Personnel used at alloverseas posts

“Post Personnel has resulted in a con-siderable increase in the confidenceof U.S. overseas personnel data.”

OMB CALLS DEPARTMENT’S DATA-SHARINGSYSTEM THE BEST BY SHANNON C. GALEY

‘Gold Standard’

rapidly evolved into the definitivegovernment-wide resource.”

By centrally capturing data, PostPersonnel allows the Department to shareposition data with 47 other U.S. agencieswith an overseas presence. These agenciesaccess their overseas position data in thePost Personnel Global Access System via theDepartment’s Web-based human resourcesnetwork. This allows the Department’sagencies, such as the U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development, to better validatetheir overseas positions when supportingthe CSCS “data call.”

The CSCS data call was a resource-intensive effort that involved manuallygathering current and planned position datafrom all U.S. missions, for building space

cost-sharing among agencies overseas. Byimplementing the OBO module in PostPersonnel, the Department significantlyreduced the costs of managing the data calland decreased lead time for headquartersvalidation, since posts routinely maintaintheir CSCS data in Post Personnel.

BEYOND THE DEPARTMENTHR is further leveraging Post Personnel

data for its other human resources manage-ment system applications, such asPermanent Change of Station Travel andthe Transfer and Evacuation ManagementSystem. These integration efforts will help itfully automate the travel message processand better support post evacuations.

HR is also working closely with the

Foreign Service Institute to assist FSI withthe integration of Post Personnel data intoits student training management system,which will allow FSI to validate the employ-ment of Locally Employed staff registeringfor training. This will eliminate the manualvalidation process and increase the accuracyand efficiency of course registrations.

HR is also working with othergovernment agencies to improve the overallaccuracy of their overseas personnel data,which will, in turn, assist them in meetingthe PMA right-sizing requirements.

More information about Post Personnel isavailable at http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/ps. ■

The author is a communications consultantin HR’s executive office.


The Post Personnel staff, which also supportsHR overseas applications, gathers for a picture.

2005

JUN ICASS uses Post Personneldata

MAY Post PersonnelConsolidated Databaseestablished at Departmentheadquarters

DEC Data quality/analysisreview begun worldwide

2006

JAN Post Profiles uses PostPersonnel data

MAR Post Personnel used atall missions

JUL OBO uses Post Personneldata

NOV MSP/RM uses PostPersonnel data

DEC Post Personnel data madeavailable to other agencies

2007

MAR FSI uses Post Personnel fortraining verification

MAY ICASS mandates use of PostPersonnel position codes

JUN Post Personnel data usedin Department’s right-sizing report to Congress

The “Ops Center” supportsthe Secretary, coordinating andplacing her calls with foreigncounterparts, writingmemoranda of conversationsand transmitting documents toand from her party when shetravels. It also ensures thataccurate information gets to thepeople who need it quickly—

and wakes you up at three inthe morning when you’re a dutyofficer. In addition, it producesthe Afternoon and OvernightBriefs, spot reports on breakingnews and the Watch Alerts thatpop up on your computermonitor. And it recruits for taskforces and provides support andguidance during crises. It’s even

the voice on the phone askingfor comment on a news storythat interests the Secretary orother Department principals.

NEW ROLEThe Ops Center also now is

one of the premier trainingexperiences for newer Depart-ment officers. The center’s

Watch—the 24-hour-dutyoffice—has always been anintensive professional develop-ment experience, givingemployees broad exposure tothe inner workings of theDepartment. In the past year,the center’s training programhas vastly expanded. Once,learning the technical skillsneeded to “take the chair” onthe Watch involved on-the-job-training. Now, watchstandersreceive a full week oforientation that includes prac-ticing oral briefings forDepartment principals andreviewing emergencyprocedures. Since the center hasnearly 100 percent turnoverevery summer, this extra weekhelps bring new members ofthe Watch to top performancequickly.


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OPERATIONS CENTER TAKES ON ADDED ROLE BY SARAH HANKINS

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice andVice President Dick Cheney chat as theytour the Operations Center.

Dialing the Operations Center is like calling theDepartment’s equivalent of 911 —It’s the nerve centerfor high-profile information and communications.

Training ‘Ops’


As one member of the Opsteam put it, the betterunderstanding of customers’needs that comes from trainingmakes the team more effective.Another veteran likened thefirst few weeks of working inthe Ops Center to “drinkingfrom a fire hydrant”—newarrivals take in anoverwhelming amount of infor-mation. This includes learningthe names of principals at theDepartment, the White Houseand other federal agencies,using a complexteleconferencing system andwriting concise, accurate andtimely briefings. The expandedtraining alleviates the sense ofdrowning in information, thatops team member observed.

Training doesn’t stop whenwatchstanders start work. Thisyear, Ops developed cross-training experiences that ensureemployees get the most out oftheir time in the center’s

seventh-floor operation. Watch-standers cross-train in thecenter’s Crisis ManagementSupport section, learning howto track hot spots around theglobe and keep the Departmenton top of events and able toprotect Americans, should apolitical crisis or naturaldisaster occur.

CLOSE CONTACTThe Watch also works closely

with the Line, the office thatreviews most documentscoming to the Secretary andsupports her overseas travel.This year, watchstanders spenttwo days with the Line and afew hours with the Secretary’sstaff and shadowed the Execu-tive Secretariat’s “duty deputy,”a senior seventh-floor officerwho has the final say on whichpapers are ready for the Secre-tary the following morning.These training opportunitiesprovided unprecedented profes-

sional experience, clarifyingexactly what the Secretary andother principals need to knowand when they need to know it.Experience in judging whichnews stories and issues shouldrise to the Secretary’s attentionwill become valuable to thoseofficers as their careers progress.

The center’s trainingcontinuum also provides timeto meet informally with seniorDepartment officials, insituations with no agendasother than hearing the officials’views. In addition to a daylongall-hands meeting with guestssuch as Under SecretaryNicholas Burns, Assistant Secre-tary Maura Harty and ExecutiveSecretary Harry Thomas, thecenter’s trainees also spent a dayat the Foreign Service Institutefor team building anddiscussion about where theDepartment is headed. Since the35-member Watch has a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week,

rotating-shift schedule, it wasquite a feat to get all of thetrainees together in one placeat one time—but definitelyworthwhile.

The training continuum alsofits with an ambitious project toupgrade the center’sinformation technologyinfrastructure. The center has anew teleconferencing system,Web-based programs andrevised training.

But the center recognizesthat new technology is notenough and that it is trainingthat supports its goal of seeingthat every Ops Center traineegains sharper skills and anenhanced understanding ofU.S. foreign policy. ■

The author is a political officer inthe Bureau of WesternHemisphere Affairs and alterna-tive representative to the U.S.Mission to the Organization ofAmerican States.

The Operations Center’s Watch team gathers for its official 2006-07 portrait with the Secretary.

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What would you doin a remote post with very poor medical resources if the following situation

occurred: An earthquake collapses the embassy building you are working in.

Injured coworkers are calling for help and others seem to be seriously hurt

but are not conscious. No medical professionals are present, and it may take

quite a while for them to get there. Which of the many victims should you

try to help first?

Whether the situation is a natural disaster, a terrorist event or a motor

vehicle accident, most of us are not prepared to step in and offer medical

assistance. Now, however, thanks to an Emergency Medical Training course,

many Foreign Service employees and Locally Employed staff overseas know

how to help save lives and make a difference in crisis situations.

The Office of Medical Services developed the EMT course for non-medical

employees in the Foreign Service community. The course is being taught at

the National Foreign Affairs Training Center and overseas.


MEDICAL REPORT

The EMT course started with ideas a fewyears ago from Richard Bienia, a regionalmedical officer then serving as chief of theEmergency Medical Response Section forMED, and Carol Dorsey, then director ofthe Foreign Service Health PractitionerProgram, which plans and coordinatesMED’s continuing medical educationprogram.

“It was clear that nowhere in the worldwould the State Department have sufficientmedical personnel to manage a true masscasualty situation without the involvementof folks who have learned to take care ofthemselves,” Bienia says.

Dorsey adds, “Having served in somefairly austere postings during my career, Ihave always believed that emergencymedical training was an essential skill setthat should be incorporatedinto the basic training forForeign Service officers, rightup there with security aware-ness and other emergencypreparedness courses.”

The objective of the courseis to make Foreign Servicecommunity members betterprepared and more self-reliant in the face of medicalemergencies, particularlythose that could occur insettings where an emergencymedical response system doesnot exist or is not working asexpected. The course includesmedical triage, advancedfirst-aid techniques, search-and-rescue techniques and adiscussion of disaster-copingtechniques.

Edith Gidley, the ForeignService Health Practitionerwho acts as the current MEDadviser for the course, says,“Our students learn how tosize up an emergency situation and reallyenjoy the hands-on part of the class, puttingtheir skills to use right away in our mockdisaster scenarios.”

In a collaborative effort, the CrisisManagement Training Division of theForeign Service Institute’s School of Leader-ship and Management, MED and theBureau of Human Resources have movedthe course from a pilot to a required coursetaught on a regular basis. Dean Haas of the

Office of Career Development and Assign-ments says all Foreign Service generalistsand specialists are now being enrolled in thecourse before going overseas.

Instructors for the FSI class, contractedfrom All Source Consulting Group, havecome from urban search-and-rescuebackgrounds and worked in either overseasor remote rescue environments. BruceAlexander, president and founder of AllSource, says, “The instructors know that it’snot if, but when the course participants willbe called on to the use skills they learn inthis class. They know firsthand the type ofenvironment Foreign Service employeeshave to face every day.”

Overseas, the emergency medical courseis taught by the health care professionalsfrom embassy health units, using the same

course objectives, syllabus and teachingmaterials, but adapted to each particularpost. The course is taught to LE staff,employees and eligible family members ofall foreign affairs agencies. The course focusis often on preparing to make the post’sEmergency Action Plan real, by runningmass-casualty incident drills.

In New Delhi, RMO Christine Hughessays that “we have established medicalresponder teams at each of the posts. They

consist of 8-12 volunteers, predominatelylocally engaged staff, to whom the local-hirenurses and I have given the eight-hourtraining. In Delhi, we have also assembled aresponder kit of basic and intermediatefirst-aid supplies assigned to each medicalresponder. Each time I visit my regionalposts, I now give refresher classes usingpractice scenarios.”

Gail Sims, FSHP in Kuwait, gives eachparticipant an opportunity to triage a groupof patients during the class.

“Health Unit Kuwait plans to do casescenario drills to test skills throughout theyear, using mock trauma costumes andmakeup for ‘victims’ and having a three-person rescue group respond,” she says.

Medical Director Dr. Laurence Brown ispleased that MED has been able to provide

the leadership and expertise needed to getthis crucial training off the ground.

“The success of the course has been dueto everyone’s concerted efforts as a team,”he says. “With FSI, HR and MED workingtogether, we’ve been able to provide innova-tive, practical training useful for anyemergency.” ■

The author is deputy director of the ForeignService Health Practitioner Program.

Two Emergency Medical Training students practice simple triage and rapid treatment of a mock victim.

U.S. Ambassador to IraqRyan C. Crocker of Washington, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Career Ambassador, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq.Previously, he was ambassador toPakistan. He has also been ambassadorto Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. Heworked for the Coalition ProvisionalAuthority in Iraq and as deputy assistantsecretary for Near Eastern Affairs. Hisother overseas postings include Iran,Qatar, Egypt and Afghanistan. He ismarried.

U.S. Ambassador to LaosRavic Rolf Huso of Hawaii, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Lao People’sDemocratic Republic. Previously, he wasforeign policy adviser to theCommander, U.S. Pacific Command.Before that, he was deputy chief ofmission in Bangkok. His other overseaspostings include Burkina Faso, Burundi,Malaysia and Niger. He was a PeaceCorps volunteer in Senegal.

U.S. Ambassador to BelgiumSam Fox of Missouri, a businessman andcivic activist, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto Belgium. He is the founder ofHarbour Group Ltd., a private companyspecializing in the acquisition, develop-ment and operation of high-qualitycompanies. He has contributedextensively to cultural, educational andcharitable institutions in St. Louis andserved as a trustee of WashingtonUniversity, his alma mater. He is marriedand has five children.

U.S. Ambassador to MalaysiaJames R. Keith of Virginia, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to Malaysia. Previously,he was deputy director of the AvianInfluenza Action Group. His overseaspostings include Beijing, Jakarta, Seouland Hong Kong, where he was consulgeneral. He served on the National Secu-rity Council and as a deputy assistantsecretary in the Bureau of East Asian andPacific Affairs. He is married and has sixchildren.

U.S. Ambassador to IndonesiaCameron R. Hume of New York, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Career Minister, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Republic ofIndonesia. He was most recently chargéd’affaires in Khartoum and served previ-ously as ambassador to South Africa andAlgeria. His other overseas postingsinclude Beirut, Damascus and theHoly See.

U.S. Ambassador to theMarshall IslandsClyde Bishop of Delaware, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Counselor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to the Republic of theMarshall Islands. Previously, he wasconsul general in Santo Domingo. Healso served as principal officer in Naples.His other overseas postings includeHong Kong, Bombay, Rio de Janeiro,Korea and Palermo. He is married andhas two children.


APPOINTMENTS

U.S. Representative to theUnited NationsZalmay Khalizad of Maryland, a defenseand foreign affairs specialist and formerambassador, is the new U.S. PermanentRepresentative to the United Nations.Previously, he was ambassador to Iraqand, before that, ambassador toAfghanistan. He has held other high-level positions at State, the Departmentof Defense and the National SecurityCouncil. He founded the Center forMiddle Eastern Studies at RAND.

U.S. Ambassador toMadagascar and ComorosR. Niels Marquardt of California, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Madagascar. He is to serveconcurrently as ambassador to theUnion of Comoros. Previously, he wasambassador to Cameroon andconcurrently to Equatorial Guinea. Hisother overseas assignments includeGermany, France, Thailand and Congo.He was a Peace Corps volunteer inRwanda. He is married and has fourdaughters.

U.S. Ambassador toTimor-LesteHans G. Klemm of Michigan, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the DemocraticRepublic of Timor-Leste. Previously, hewas minister-counselor for economicaffairs in Tokyo. His other overseas post-ings include Bonn, Seoul and Port ofSpain. He is married.

U.S. Ambassador to EstoniaStanley Davis Phillips of North Carolina,a businessman, civic leader and stateofficial, is the new U.S. Ambassador tothe Republic of Estonia. Previously, hewas chairman and CEO of PhillipsIndustries, Inc. He was Secretary ofCommerce and chairman of theEconomic Development Board in NorthCarolina. In the former capacity, heorganized many trade missions toEurope, Asia and the Middle East. In1999, he chaired the World Games of theSpecial Olympics. He is married and hasfour daughters.


*Busch, Cherryl D.Dee, DianeFrisbie, Russell LouisGarcia, RicardoGrey, Thomas FrancisJenkins, James K.Koch, Barbara L.

Marcott, Lauren HueberNemeth, Winkle W.Purnell, Jon R.Rasari, ViliameRollison, Brenda M.Wasilewski, Roman Hugh

Bonnell, Melinda V.Carr, Anja L.Erskine, Linda E.Evans, Rachelle Y.Ferrell, Dorothy M.

Krasner, Stephen DavidLyles, Carolyn M.McGill Jr., Edmond

AnthonySchol, Philip P.

Schultz, Jeannette MarieSmith, Phyllis M.Stuart, Diane SueWhite, Bruce N.

FOREIGN SERVICE CIVIL SERVICE

retirements


Student Records OnlineNeed your class schedule or an unoffi-

cial transcript of training taken throughFSI? Visit the FSI Registrar’s Office Webpage on the Department of StateOpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg.

Leadership Training Leadership training is mandatory for

Foreign Service and Civil Serviceemployees at the FS-03/GS-13 levels andabove to ensure that they have the neces-sary preparation for increasing levels ofresponsibility. FSI’s Leadership andManagement School offers the requiredcourses to meet these mandatory trainingrequirements and other leadershipcourses for all FS and GS employees.

Senior Policy SeminarsFSI’s Leadership and Management

School offers professional developmentand policy seminars for senior-level exec-utives of the Department and the foreignaffairs/national security community.

For more information, contact FSI’sLeadership and Management School at(703) 302-6743, [email protected] orhttp://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov/fsi/lms.

FasTrac Distance Learning:Learn at Your Own Pace,When and Where You Want!

All State Department employees, FSNsand EFMs are eligible. With your FasTracpassword, you may access the entireFasTrac catalog of more than 3,000courses, from home or office (Intranet orInternet). Courses cover numerous topics,such as project management, computerskills and grammar and writing skills,

as well as soft skills such as leadership. Toview the FasTrac catalog, visit the FasTracWeb site at http://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

FSI Distance LearningAn extensive menu of FSI-developed

distance learning courses is also availableto eligible participants on the FSI learningmanagement system. See (U) State009772 dated February 14, 2005, or theFSI Web page (Distance Learning) forinformation.

FS-3/GS-13PK245 Basic Leadership Skills

FS-2/GS-14PT207 Intermediate Leadership Skills

FS-1/GS-15PT210 Advanced Leadership Skills

Managers and SupervisorsPT107 EEO Diversity Awareness for

Managers and Supervisors

Newly Promoted FS-OC/SESPT133 Senior Executive Threshold

Seminar

EDUCATION TRAINING

MANDATORY COURSES

Security Aug Sept Length

MQ911 SOS: Security Overseas Seminar 13,27 10,24 2D

MQ912 ASOS: Advanced SecurityOverseas Seminar 7 18 1D

MQ914 YSOS: Youth Security Overseas Seminar 7,14 1D

Foreign Service Life Skills Aug Sept Length

MQ111 Making Presentations: Design to Delivery 6 2D

MQ115 Explaining America 5 1D

MQ116 Protocol & U.S. Representation Abroad 4,18 8 1D

MQ703 Post Options for Employment & Training 16 1D

MQ250 Young Diplomats Day 13 1D

MQ703 Post Options for Employment & Training 16 1D

MQ802 Communicating Across Cultures 11 1D

MQ950 High Stress Assignment Outbrief 31 13,28 1D

Career Transition Center Aug Sept Length

RV101 Retirement Planning Seminar 24 4D

RV103 Financial Management & Estate Planning 2 26 1D

RV104 Annuities, Benefits and Social Security 1 25 1D

Length: H = Hours, D = Days, W = Weeks

Dates for FSI Transition Center Courses are shown below. For information on all thecourses available at FSI, visit the Schedule of Courses on OpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov.See Department Notices for announcements of new courses and new course dates andperiodic announcements of external training opportunities sponsored by FSI. For addi-tional information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (703) 302-7144/7137.


OBITUARIES

Tareyne A. Abraham, 26, a member of the Locally Employedstaff at the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,died suddenly on May 15. She had worked at the embassy formore than five years.

Dorothy G. Bastiani, 73, wife ofretired Foreign Service officer Carl A.Bastiani, died April 5 of colon cancer inRockville, Md. She accompanied herhusband on overseas postings to Naples,Bucharest, Genoa, Rome, Krakow andTurin. After his retirement, she resumed

her career as an occupational therapist. She enjoyed oil painting,sewing and travel.

Chester Earl Beaman, 91, a retiredForeign Service officer, died of congestiveheart failure May 3 in Arlington, Va. Heserved in the Army during World War IIand joined the Department in 1949. His

overseas postings included Frankfurt, Bonn, London, Cardiff,Beirut, Cairo, Port Said, Manila, Damascus and Valetta. Afterretiring in 1972, he was a personnel management consultant until1998. He enjoyed genealogical research, model railroads, traveland photography.

Margret L. Brunner, 87, a retiredForeign Service employee, died April 30 inMonterey, Calif. Her overseas assignmentsincluded Durban, Geneva, Düsseldorf andEast Berlin. She retired in 1980.

Louis J. Carlucci, 61, a retired ForeignService officer, died April 24 of cardiacarrest in Stafford, Va. He served in theCoast Guard before joining theDepartment in 1967 and the ForeignService in 1987. His overseas postings

included Lima, Mexico City, Munich and Port of Spain. Afterretiring in 1999, he worked in the Office of Transportation as apacking inspector. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle.

Rivca Sara Cohn, 71, a retired CivilService employee, died April 27 inBethesda, Md. She lived in Rockville, Md.She was born in Israel and served in theIsraeli military and Foreign Service. Shejoined the Department after becoming a

U.S. citizen in 1973 and retired in 2006. She worked overseas ontemporary duty in Geneva, China, Hong Kong, Jerusalem andGaza, and served on many task forces, most recently the 9/11 TaskForce. She loved languages and enjoyed bowling and genealogy.

Maria Josefine Gross, 76, widow ofretired Foreign Service officer Kurt F.Gross, died March 27. She was born inVienna, Austria, and met her husbandthere while working at the U.S. Embassy.She accompanied him to overseas assign-

ments in Tokyo, Bangkok, Bonn, Zagreb, Berne, Harare andBelgrade. She enjoyed cooking, gardening and cross-stitching.

Eileen Janus, 79, a retired ForeignService secretary, died May 11 in Santa Fe,N.M. She joined the Department in 1956and retired in 1993. Her overseas postingsincluded Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo,Burma, Buenos Aires, Monterrey, Paris,

Rome, Zurich and Geneva.

Jack B. Kubisch, 85, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedMay 7 in Southern Pines, N.C. He served in the Navy duringWorld War II. His overseas postings included Brazil, France, SriLanka, Mexico and Greece, where he was ambassador. As chargéd’affaires in France, he assisted with the Vietnam peace negotia-tions. He also served as assistant secretary for Inter-AmericanAffairs and vice president of the National Defense University.He retired in 1979.

Verne L. Larson, 90, a retired ForeignService officer, died May 18 in Palm Coast,Fla. He worked on Lend-Lease, then servedin the Army during World War II,receiving three bronze stars. He rejoinedthe Department in 1946 and joined the

Foreign Service in 1955. He served overseas in Caracas, San Jose,Berlin and Bogotâ.

Laurie C. Laurance, 66, a retiredForeign Service facilities manager, diedNov. 30 of lung cancer in Cape Coral, Fla.He served in the Navy before joining theDepartment. His overseas postingsincluded Yemen, Guyana, Pakistan, Egypt

and Indonesia. After retiring in 2003, he enjoyed life and nature inFlorida.

John J. Leech, 78, a retired Foreign Service officer, died March22 in Manassas, Va. He was an Army veteran who served inDefense attaché offices in Lima, Quito and Mexico City. With theDepartment, he served overseas in Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia,Laos, Iran and Panama. His daughter Theresa is a Foreign Serviceofficer.

Howard L. McGowan, 63, a retiredForeign Service officer, died May 18 inArlington, Va., of complications followingheart bypass surgery. He joined theDepartment in 1965 and served overseasin Portugal, Vietnam, Angola, Brazil, Cape

Verde (where he was chargé d'affaires) and El Salvador. Afterretiring in 1993, he worked as a rehired annuitant at poststhroughout Africa. Shortly before his death, he was working forthe Sudan Programs Group in the Bureau of African Affairs.

Nils William Olsson, 97, a retired Foreign Service officer,died March 20 in Winter Park, Fla. He served in the Navy duringWorld War II before joining the Department in 1950. His overseaspostings included Iceland, Sweden and Norway. After retiring in1967, he helped found the Swedish Council of America andlaunched the quarterly journal Swedish American Genealogist,which he edited until 1997.

William M. Owen, 86, a retiredForeign Service officer, died April 6 ofcongestive heart failure in Washington,D.C. He served in the Army during WorldWar II. He joined the Department as anintern in 1948 and served overseas in

Paris, Stockholm, Manila, London, Rangoon and Bangkok. Heretired in 1977, but worked for the Department again during themid-1980s.

OBITUARIES


Thomas P. Shoesmith, 85, a retiredForeign Service officer, died April 26 ofcancer in Springfield, Va. He served in theArmy during and after World War II. Hejoined the Department in 1951, enteredthe Foreign Service in 1955 and retired in

1987. His overseas postings included Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo,Fukuoka and Malaysia, where he was ambassador. Afterretirement, he was active in the Japan-America Society ofWashington.

Glenn Harold Sorenson, 89, aretired Civil Service and Foreign Serviceemployee, died April 27 of aortic stenosisin Woodbridge, Va. He served in the Armyduring World War II. He designedelectronic systems and operated simulta-

neous interpreting systems for press briefings and internationalconferences. He retired in 1979. He volunteered at the NationalPark Service’s Oxon Hill Farm and twice delivered the nationalChristmas tree to the White House.

Etta Thurmond, 79, a retired Foreign Service nursepractitioner, died May 4 in Kerrville, Texas. She joined the ForeignService in 1977. Her overseas postings included Bucharest, Quito,Mogadishu and Karachi. She retired to Kerrville in 1993 andworked as a nurse at a girls’ summer camp.

Otto Herman Wagner, 89, a retiredForeign Service officer, died January 25 inMinnesota. He served in the Army duringWorld War II. He joined the Departmentin 1960 and served overseas inGuadalajara, Hong Kong, Sydney and

Manila. He retired in 1970. He enjoyed playing the piano,accordion, harmonica and organ.

Phillip Joseph Walls, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedMarch 16 in Berlin, Md. His overseas postings included Rio deJaneiro, Moscow and Ankara. He also served in the Army. Heloved classical music, travel, reading, history and foreign affairs.


IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH

Questions concerning employee deaths should be directed to the Office of Casualty Assistance at(202) 736-4302. Inquiries concerning deaths of retired employees should be directed to the Office ofRetirement at (202) 261-8960.


This mid-summer issue features ourtraditional peeks at some of theDepartment’s ongoing programs, such asForeign Affairs Day and Take Your Child toWork Day. We also take you to someseldom-seen areas where colleagues aremaking a difference in sensitive parts of adangerous world.

Diplomatic Security usually operates inthe background; the less visibility, thebetter. But in this issue, we offer a rareglimpse of our security specialist colleaguesat work on a high-profile mission—protecting Liberia’s first female president,Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, during her 2006 inau-guration. The mission, which came directlyfrom Secretary Condoleezza Rice, alsoincluded molding Liberia’s Special SecurityService into a professional presidentialprotective force. Their efforts went a longway to help stabilize a volatile country.

In another area of Africa recovering fromyears of instability and division, the publicaffairs section at the U.S. Embassy inAbidjan took a different diplomatic path.Working with the Office of CitizenExchanges and an arts managementconsultant, the embassy initiated awhirlwind program to boost Côte d’Ivoire’sstruggling arts community. Stressing thequality of the artists’ work, the power ofpromotion and strength in numbers, theprogram led to a new Federation of Artistsand Artisans of Côte d’Ivoire—and abrighter future for all Ivorian artists.

A grateful nation should always welcomeback its wartime warriors, especially those

wounded in action. So when theDepartment of Defense announced Opera-tion Warfighter, a program designed toprovide wounded service members withmeaningful, temporary activity outside the

hospital environment and help them returnto the military or civilian workforce, theDepartment responded with enthusiasmand jobs. More than 25 bureaus and officesposted more than 75 position descriptionsfor consideration at DOD.

Coordinated at State by the Office ofRecruitment, Examination andEmployment, the program allows veteransto build resumes, explore otheremployment interests, develop new jobskills and gain valuable federal work experi-ence. And as one veteran noted about his

experience at State, the program leavesthem with “a real feeling of accomplishmentat the end of the day.”

Just about everyone recognizes theDepartment’s Operations Center as State’snerve center for high-profile informationand communications. In just the past year,it has also grown into one of the premiertraining experiences for newer Departmentofficers. One Ops team member likens theinformation flow during the first few weeksin the Center to “drinking from a firehydrant.”

Last but never least, a final salute to ourcolleagues en route to their final posting:Tareyne A. Abraham; Dorothy G. Bastiani;Chester Earl Beaman; Margret L. Brunner;Louis J. Carlucci; Rivca Sara Cohn; MariaJosefine Gross; Eileen Janus; Jack B. Kubisch;Verne L. Larson; Laurie C. Laurance; John J.Leech; Howard L. McGowan; Nils WilliamOlsson; William M. Owen; Thomas P.Shoesmith; Glenn Harold Sorenson; EttaThurmond; Otto Herman Wagner; andPhillip Joseph Walls.

Presidents, Artists and Veterans

THE LAST WORD

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

COMING IN SEPTEMBER• Department Inner-View—Under Secretary

R. Nicholas Burns... and much more! Questions? Comments?

[email protected]

U.S. Department of StateBureau of Human ResourcesWashington, DC 20520

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State MagazineHR/ER/SMGSA–1, Room H-236 Washington, DC 20522–0108

PERIODICALSPOSTAGE AND FEES

PAIDDEPARTMENT

OF STATEISSN 1099-4165

JULY/AUG.2007

Think of Fall—and BOOKFAIR

*Plan to attend the 47th annual

BOOKFAIR of the Associates of the

American Foreign Service Worldwide,

which will open on Friday, Oct. 13, and

continue through Sunday, Oct. 21.

It will be held in the Diplomatic

Exhibit Hall on the first floor of Main

State. In addition to thousands of

second-hand books from all over the

world, BOOKFAIR will feature the Art

Corner, Collectors’ Corner and an

assortment of coins and stamps.

State Magazine, July/August 2007

Documents

u g u s t

transformational diplomacy

new office

n e j u ly

states partnerships

transformational tool

department personnel

transformational democracy